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Works of an Ethnic Artist at Dey Art Gallery
By Soheila Mahdavi
soheila@tehranavenue.com
May 2006
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{Mokarrameh Ghanbari} started painting at the age of 64. She was from the northern side of the ALBORZ Mountain Range. A series of events made her name household around the globe. Ms. Ghanbari received no formal education, but she could compose poetry, capture her dreams and memories, as well as her local legends, on canvas. She spoke through her brush, of her unhappy marriage, of the difficult years of feudalism, of her ordeals with her husband's second wife, and of the stories of Quran and the Bible. She painted in a way that people with years of academic training couldn't.

In the month of March 2006, an exhibit of the works of Mokarrameh Ghanbari was convened at DEY Art Gallery. Organized by her son, {Ali Bolboi}, the exhibit put on display works that dealt with the immediate surroundings of the artist. One could see a deep understanding of color harmony in all of them. Paint touches were short and effective. The tradition of Persian miniatures and Indian painting could be seen in them. Usually symmetrical, the composition drew the viewer's attention to the center of the painting.

Works of Ghanbari have a calming effect. They are simple and without much ceremony. One can sense the atmosphere of villages of the north through the use of tile-work techniques.

The life of the recently-passed-away artist has been captured in a documentary by director {Ebrahim Mokhtari} called Roya-ha va khaterat-e Mokarrameh Ghanbari (Dreams and Memories of Mokarrameh Ghanbari). This documentary is available in many bookstores. The artist's name has also been mentioned in www.adventuredivas.com, a website dedicated to influential women, along with an interview and an article on the artist. According to her personal website (www.mokarramehghanbari.com), Hollywood is also preparing a feature movie based on her life.

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