Fereydoun Ave was born in Tehran in 1945. International at an early age, he completed his primary and secondary education in England and went on to America to complete his university studies in applied arts of the theater and cinema.
In 1970 he started his professional career, as artistic director of the Iran-America Cultural Center, then the National Iranian television theater workshop, the City Theater, the Zand Gallery, and 13 Vanak st. Gallery. Between 1970-80 he had the unique opportunity to work with artists like: Cy Twombly, Arby Ovanessian, Bob Wilson, Bijan Safari, Zenderoudi, Michailis Macroulakis and Douglas Johnson.
All the while he was making art, mostly collage, mixed-media and works on paper. Between 1975-2000 he has had regular exhibitions in Iran and abroad (recently exposed in Tehran at 13 Vanak st, and in Paris at Hervé Van Der Straten Gallery). He does not like to be classified but acknowledges and lays claim to all art history and its techniques. The invention of the camera and the interest in the subconscious (Psychology) are his liberating guidelines.
His themes have been the sacred elements, icons, Persian mythology, archaic city scapes, fragments, erasers, and most recently meditation and empty space.
List of Works
Lily, 1990. Acrylic, collage, watercolour on paper, 70 × 100.
Sacred Elements, 1976. Collage with oil on paper, 60 × 90.
Large-format Watercolour, 1999. Watercolour, pencil, acrylic, 100 × 150.
Rostam and Sohrab, 1998. Acrylic, laser print and collage on paper, 70 × 80.
Mama / Sphinx. Assemblage sculpture with gold leaf and plaster bandage, height 70.
Chrysanthemum, 1988. Collage and acrylic on paper, 70 × 50.
Preserving the Seas, 1991. Coloured pencil, black pencil, acrylic on paper, 120 × 80.
Shiva Lingam, 1990. Collage and acrylic on canvas.
Sculpture (assemblage), 1989. Painted wood and plaster, 95 × 36.
Termeh, 1989. Collage, acrylic, pencil and coloured pencil, 100 × 70.
Angel, 1975. Pastel, pencil, coloured pencil, watercolour, letterpress, 70 × 100.
Icon, 1990. Collage and brocade fabric, gold leaf and acrylic, 108 × 80.
Poster and cover for the play Caligula, 1978. Director: Arby Ovanessian, City Theatre.
