Born in 1303, Arak, Iran - Death 1388
Biography
Behjat Sadr (1924–2009) was a pioneering Iranian modern art painter known for her abstract approach and innovative techniques. Born in Arak, Iran, she studied at the University of Tehran before attending art academies in Rome and Naples. Sadr gained international recognition with her distinct style, incorporating a palette knife on canvases to create visual rhythm and geometric shapes. Her first major exhibition in 1958 in Rome marked the beginning of her global acclaim. Awarded the Royal Grand Prize at the Tehran Biennale in 1962, she continued to participate in international art fairs. Despite health challenges, Sadr persisted in her art, creating photomontages in smaller formats. In 1980, after the Islamic Revolution, she moved to Paris. Sadr's passing in 2009 symbolized her deep connection to the infinite, as expressed in her writings. The Behjat Sadr Endowment Fund, established in 2020, aims to preserve her artistic legacy. A documentary in 2006, "Behjat Sadr: Time Suspended," highlighted her life and contributions to contemporary art.
Solo Exhibitions
1957: Il Pincio Gallery, Rome, Italy
1958: La Bussola, Rome, Italy
1963: Borghese Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1967: Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1975: Cyrus Gallery, Paris, France
1977: Iranian-American Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran
1983: Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France
1984: Darial Gallery, Paris, France
1985: Farhang-Sara Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran
1994: Nia cultural Center, Tehran, Iran
2004: Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran, Iran
2008: Golestan Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2008: Frederic Lacroix Gallery, Paris, France
2010: Frederic Lacroix Gallery, Paris France
2018: The Mosaic Rooms, London, UK
2019: Balice Hertling Gallery, Paris, France
2022: Balice Hertling Gallery, Paris, France
2023: "Behjat SADR", IAIA IAIA, New York, USA
Group Exhibitions
1956: Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy[2]
1957: Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
1957: Galleria Il Pincio, Rome, Italy
1962: Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
1962: The 3rd Tehran Painting Biennale, Tehran, Iran
1962: São Paulo Art Biennale, São Paulo, Brazil
1987: Iranian Contemporary Art: Four Women, Foxley Leach Gallery, Washington DC[1]
1992: Columbia University, New York, USA
1992: Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran, Iran
2002: "Between Word and Image, Modern Iranian Visual Culture", Gray Art Gallery, New York, USA
2013: "Modernités Plurielles de 1905 à 1970", Centre Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, France
2013: "Iran Modern", Asia Society, New York, USA
2014: "Unedited History. Iran 1960-2014", Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Paris, France
2015: "Unedited History. Iran 1960-2014", MAXXI, Roma, Italy
2021: "Epic Iran", Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
2023: Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-1970, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK and Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles, Arles, France
