The young man who moved from Tehran to New York in the 60’s is now eighty years old. He continues to live his life as much a hippie as he was during the summer of love. His perspective of life and art come from a wide range of influences; from Woodstock to the usual everyday affairs of life in our new world.

Now, despite the passage of half a century, it’s not possible to consider him an immigrant, since he is neither in Iran, nor in the United States. That temporary habitat never replaced his hometown. As a nomad, he considers both winter and summer quarters as home. He is always on the road, believing there are ‘third’ places to live in between. Hazavei has been in constant state of flux, finding a cozy, special place and immediately abandoning it. That’s why identity is not an issue for him, contrary to most migrant artists. There’s no feeling of duality in his work and homesickness was never an obstacle for him. His permanent desire to be on the move changed him intrinsically but did not separate him from other Iranian artists. His point of view and his oeuvre have been greatly influenced by the Eastern regions of Iran. The infinite borderless-ness in his outlook is the result of a half century of being in the midst.

Akram Ahmadi Tavana