TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has offered his condolences over the death of Habibollah Sadeqi, an Iranian artist who died of heart failure last Wednesday.

In a message published by Iranian media, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences over the demise of the outstanding revolutionary artist, Mr. Habibollah Sadeqi, to his friends, colleagues and especially to his respected family; may God bless him.”

President Ebrahim Raisi also sent a message of condolences over the death of Sadeqi, who was best known for his works on the Islamic Revolution and the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

“We felt deep grief at the loss of the outstanding and committed artist, Mr. Habibollah Sadeqi,” Raisi said.

“By joining the revolution of Imam Khomeini, the established artist dedicated his skills and abilities to the victory of the Islamic Revolution and remained beside people and the revolution by his great art,” he added.

Parliament speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and several other officials also expressed their sympathy for the death of Sadeqi.

Sadeqi, who also was suffering from diabetes, died at the age of 65. His funeral procession will begin on Saturday from the Iranian Academy of Arts and he will be buried in the Artists Section of Tehran’s Behesht Zahra Cemetery.
 
He was a member of the Iranian Academy of Arts and the Visual Arts Office of the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization.

He also served as the director of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMCA) from 2003 to 2008.

Sadeqi started painting at age eight and then was admitted to the School of Fine Arts in Tehran. He studied painting in the Fine Art Faculty at the University of Tehran.

Continuing his academic education, he obtained a Ph.D. in art at Tarbiat Modarres University.

He also carried out several study projects on different topics such as “An Analysis of Forms, Images and Colors in the Holy Quran” and “Images of Humans in the Mirror of Art after the Advent of Islam in Iran”. 

His works have been showcased in over 100 solo and group exhibitions in Iran and have received great critical acclaim. 

One of his solo exhibits entitled “Piece of Paradise” was organized at Tehran’s Sareban Gallery in January 2012.

Photo: A painting by Habibollah Sadeqi.

MMS/YAW