Maliheh Sorayya Nojedeh Sadat, a young artist whose paintings on suede have turned out to be her trademark, says as along she does not take a risk, she will not reach a higher point.

By Manijeh Rezapoor 

TEHRAN – Maliheh Sorayya Nojedeh Sadat, a young artist whose paintings on suede have turned out to be her trademark, says as along she does not take a risk, she will not reach a higher point.

“I was always a top student when I was studying at the university. I have been curious to try different materials and various types of canvases and I arrived at suede. I am a challenging and a risky girl,” she told the Tehran Times in an interview conducted in early October on a cool autumn day.

“I personally like unique and different works. I have worked with all kinds of different techniques to create my works. Afterwards I realized that working on suede shows one’s skill in paintings and the quick sketches an artist makes. There is no chance to make a mistake once you make a mistake the work is ruined,” she explained.

Working on suede and producing a clean, bright work requires patience and much skill, she said.

“The first time you put on the color, the suede absorbs the paint, and for three days it soaks into the suede and you have to give it time and let it dry. It also requires time and needs material,” she added.

She also explained that not just any image can be painted on suede. “It is limited. The shadows and the colors, and it is the artist who chooses the images based on her own experience. Light is very important in these types of works.”

Sadat showcased some of her works for the first time in a group exhibition at the Aftab Gallery of the Zargandeh Cultural Center in northern Tehran in 2005. Her first solo exhibit was held at Tehran’s Melal Cultural Center in 2012.

The artist noted that she is a graduate of architecture and has also studied English and works as a private translator with some companies, adding that once she was in the Iraqi city of Erbil, the idea to hold an exhibit sparkled in her mind. 

“When I was in Erbil in 2014 I was surprised to see the beautiful paintings on the walls of where we were staying, hanging on the walls with high prices. I asked about it and the manager introduced me to the Shanidar Gallery in Erbil. The gallery owner is an artist and liked my series of paintings on suede and invited me for the exhibit in 2014 in Erbil,” she explained.

Her second exhibit in Erbil was a charity one to help raise funds for the war-stricken children of the region, and the exhibit was warmly received.

“I mainly focus on displaying my works in other countries. In Iran, I have spent a lot of time and energy but the visitors prefer to buy carpet tableaus.  They ask me the price and when they find out about the price they say that they prefer to purchase two carpet tableaus instead. But when I hold an exhibit in another country, I make more money,” she added.

She also mentioned her cooperation with the MSS Art, a company based in Dubai cooperating with Swarovski, an Austrian producer of luxury cut lead glass, which embellishes the paintings with Swarovski pearls and sets of jewelry.

In her next projects, she said that she is planning to have an exhibit before Noruz. “I prefer to have a charity exhibit, but I have to see which organization cooperates; I prefer to work with an organization working for children. I am also thinking of holding an exhibit in Turkey next year.”

“Painting costs a lot of money, and I have several students to teach. I would also like to establish my own school to teach painting to students,” she concluded as her future plan.

Photo: A painting by Maliheh Sorayya Nojedeh Sadat

RM/YAW