Peace Doves in Vineyard, Springtime Landscape by Mohammad Hourian

Fantastical portrayal of five white doves surrounded by flowers and clusters of grapes in a dreamy, colorful vineyard garden setting by Mohammad Hourian (Iranian/American, 1955-2014). Signed “Hourian” lower left. Displayed in a white metal frame. Acrylic on sheetrock, Gypsum panel. Image size: 26.25″H X 47.25″L.

Iranian born artist Mohammad Hourian studied and worked in the ancient art of miniature since he was 12 years old. Under the tutelage of Iran’s most famous miniaturist, Hourian studied this unique tradition employing arabesque, linear detail, fantasy color and delicate form, and he honed his own imaginative and original style. The quality of his paintings conveys an elevated sense of whimsy and lyrical movement, with transcendental images that have been aptly called “perceptual fantasy.”

Awarded the Gold Medal at the Institute of Tehran Exhibit in 1975, Hourian also won the First Prize at the Tehran Painters Exhibit in 1976. That same year, his first exhibit in Germany at the Goethe Institute was highly praised in the German press. He achieved a BA from the University of Tehran in 1977 and taught at the University the following year. At the age of 19, he won public recognition in his first one-man show at the Gallery of Tehran. At age 20, he became the youngest Iranian artist to be elected to the National Academy of Fine Arts. He later moved to the U.S. and exhibited his work at the Hourian Fine Art Gallery in San Francisco.