TEHRAN – “Painting of the Heart”, an exhibition of paintings and sketches by Iranian artist Hassan Ruholamin, opened on Friday at the Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, Russia.

Fourteen paintings and 18 sketches, most of which have been produced exclusively for the exhibition over the past months, are on view at the museum.

“We are greatly honored to help organize the exhibition of works by the renowned Iranian artists and familiarize Russian visitors with artistic creations from Iran,” State Museum of Oriental Art Director-General Alexander Sedov said during the opening ceremony of the showcase.

“The works on display at this exhibition reflect the high level of contemporary Iranian art and culture,” he added.

Sedov said that the museum welcomes any plan or suggestions to help sustain similar showcases.  

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ruholamin said the main theme of the exhibit is the character of Hazrat Fatima (SA), the Prophet Muhammad (S), Imam Ali (AS) and their children and added, “We believe that right and guidance belong to them.”

“As a member of the Iranian art community, I want to share my love of this household through my works and I hope I would be successful in this job,” he noted.    

The opening ceremony was also attended by curator Ilya Zaitsev, Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali and several cultural figures.

Among the works selected for the exhibition, there are not only compositions imbued with subtle lyricism, with their detail and color dating back to the aesthetics of traditional Iranian miniatures and the classics of Iranian art of the 20th century, but also large battle scenes, the museum said in a statement for the exhibition, which will run until March 26.

Ruholamin skillfully combines in his work the achievements of classical European painting with Islamic aesthetics, perception of the world and its history. In the center of the artist’s creative search is the history of Islam, and the place of man in the world.

In the canvases of Ruholamin, one can see the life of a suffering and loving heart, embodying all his tragic and at the same time bright religious experiences in his paintings.

For the first time, the exhibition puts on view a large-scale painting named “The Battle for Water”, dedicated to the events of the tragic battle of Karbala in 680, which became one of the turning points in Islamic history.

Photo: Art lovers visit an exhibition of paintings and sketches by Iranian artist Hassan Ruholamin at the Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, Russia, on February 3, 2023.

MMS/YAW