View a slide show of more of Hessam's works, by clicking here
Hessam Abrishami was born in Shiraz, Iran in 1951. Shiraz, as the capital of ancient Persia has played a pivotal role in its. cultural heritage and legacy. It is beyond doubt one of the most fascinating centers of Iranian literature and the arts, as its many schools of paintings and the genius of its poets Hafez and Sa’di confirm The city’s cultural heritage bears heavily upon its emerging artists, a role similar to that played by Florence, Italy in the western hemisphere.
By the age of fifteen Hessam’s love and obsession with art became evident while still in high school. His art teacher, who encouraged Hessam to pursue a higher education, nurtured his natural talents and endless inspiration for painting. In 1975, Hessam moved to Perugia, Italy, to complete his Master of Fine Art Degree at the Academia De Belle Arti, “Pietro Vanucc".
Since then Hessam has be capturing viewers around the world with his dynamic compositions, powerful expressions, and vibrant colors with amazing depth and unique intrigue. This exceptional painter of exquisite expression and design highlights, though in subtle and highly veiled manners, the genius of his ancient Persian culture and civilization.
The viewer can see also the strong influence of Matisse in Hessam’s work by the emotional expression through the use of color and design and “is essential to his career” claims the artist. “I don’t choose my colors, they choose me” … “I set out to paint with feeling, an emotion, or theme of love or parting, or music, or loneliness”, he states Hessam’s works are greatly influenced by his dramatic life experiences and the warm acceptance he has received from the world at large.
Hessam’s desire and goal with any work is to paint from a “pure flow of energies” not from a preconceived consciousness, and his work demonstrates this repeatedly. The common theme that threads Hessam’s paintings is celebration in relating. His abstract figures grab the viewer with movement and color and always expressing relationships – the lovers, friends, family, music, food and drink. Hessam views the female figure as mysterious and identifies her with life, death, power, continuity of God, and above all art and music.
His use of musical instruments in his paintings is about emotional expression. “Music is about feeling, pure feelings without words ….. It’s about movement and flux, in other words, the dynamic of being and the way to truth.” Hessam says.
Hessam has exhibited his art in Europe, Asia, and North America, where his one-man shows have grown in popularity in the public eye. His talented works have been colorfully illustrated in various Ivy League University textbooks nationwide.
Introducing the Tocarre
What is a Tocarre?
The Italian word "tocarre" means "to touch". This new printing process is a blend between a painting and a sculpture which begins with a method of serigraphy to build texture. Then the image is created by color glazing onto an aluminum sheet. A Toccare is a trademark term and is built up with as many as 18 layers of both color and texture. A toccare may be touched as it is well protected and is more durable than any other limited edition medium in today's art industry. Neither physical contact nor the environment in which it is displayed will affect its texture or vibrancy.
Two of Hessam's images here are Tocarre reproductions: "Endless Moment" and 'Sweet Afternoon".
