Haydar Hatemi

He moved to Turkey in 1983. He is one of the most significant artists of the Iranian diaspora. Furthermore, he has been working under the commission of the Qatari Royal family for the last decade.

• Name — Haydar Hatemi • Birth Name — Haydar Hatemi • Born — 1945 • Birthplace — Hadishahr, Iran • Education — University of Tehran • Spouse — Shamsi Shams (m. 1979) • Patrons — Qatari Royal Family, Sabanci Collection • Known for — artist, painter, sculptor

Hatemi, an ethnic Azerbaijani, started painting aged 14, while he was continuing with high school in Tabriz. His early studies in art started at Tabriz's Art Academy after finishing at Tabriz middle school, Iran. It was during this time there that he learned the tazhib technique from Master Abduhl Bageri and studied sculpture techniques from Master Ashot Babayan. He continued his art studies at the Art Academy of Tehran and was privileged to be trained under masters Hussain Behzad and Abu Talib Mugimi.

Hatemi soon gained celebrity status during his sophomore year in college when he won the national award for designing the Takht-e-Tavus medal for the international Cancer Society. This award was presented to him by the Queen of Iran, Farah Pahlavi. Hatemi also taught sculpture classes in Shahnaz Pahlavi Art Academy. During his college years in Tehran University, Hatemi won first place in multiple competitions which included design of the Logo of the Isfahan University and the Logo of the Shahpur Petro-Chemicals. He also designed the gold coins in commemoration of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. Between 1972 and 1978, Hatemi established the Design Art Centre in Tehran and produced very large sculptures commissioned by the Mayor of Tehran. His statue of Shah Abbas on horseback is on display at Isfahan's Square and the statue Birds and the Rock at Argentina Square in Tehran.

After the 1979 Iranian revolution, Hatemi moved to Turkey with his young family in 1983. He continued his painting in Bursa and Istanbul and started the orientalist movement within the Turkish art world. During this period his paintings became part of the Sabancı Collection and many other private collections.