ARTISTS › Simin Ekrami

• After completing three years of studies in sculpture at Morgan State University in Maryland USA, I came back to Iran in 1971 and continued my studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Tehran University mainly under the tutelage of the Master Sculptor, Parviz Tanavoli and received my degree in 1974. While still studying at Tehran University, I married Bahram Dabiri, a painting student at the same faculty and we began to work in a workshop which we shared. In those years I mainly worked on pieces of wood which the sea brought to the shores, but I also experienced working with clay and plaster. With the birth of my daughter in 1976, I was virtually forced to give up my career until she went to school. But my absence from work continued with the birth of my son in 1981 until he went to school in 1987. Despite all my regrets, I decided not to think about it, and instead carry out the task of motherhood as perfectly as I could. However, during all these years when I did not touch work, I did not stop reading about art and studying sculpture with the intention to resume work as soon as life circumstances would allow. On the other hand, as I lived in an environment dominated by art, mainly because of my husband, I did not feel totally disconnected and felt that my artistic mind and spirit were growing in the right direction. This was proved to be true when I actually resumed work in a professional way in 1987, experiencing various materials from wood and plaster to stone and bronze. Meanwhile I also accepted commissions, including the model statute of the logo of Shiraz’s mechanized postal service in black steel which was supposed to be installed in larger dimension in the open space of the corresponding building, but was never actualized. A statute of Earth in bronze according to Abu Reyhan Birouni’s map, commissioned by Renovation Office of Tehran’s Municipality for the State Pavilion at Mehrabad international airport was completed in 1993, but it is not still installed. The next project I got involved with was proposed to me by the engineering company Baft Shahr (City Texture) which was the designer of Jamshidieh Park on the outskirts of Alborz Mountains in north of Tehran. In their design for the expansion of this park they had chosen several huge volcanic stones 4.5 to 9m in height to be turned into statutes. Each one of these stone had already been shaped by nature in the course of their thousands years of life. On the basis of those natural forms, the superfluous parts had to be carved out without being damaged in the process by human intervention. In addition, it was necessary to maintain their natural harmony with the general design of the park which to me is one of the most beautiful parks of the world. This was how I began to work simultaneously on four monoliths in 1994. I also made another statute of the Earth according to Abu Reyhan Birouni’s map for Goftegu (Dialogue) Park in Tehran in 2004 and seven stone birds installed at the House of Artists in 2006.     Exhibitions 2008 - Christie's Auction, Dubai (More info) 2004 - Solo Exhibition, Artist studio, Tehran 2002 - Group Exhibition, Germany, Bremen 2001 - Group Exhibition, Canadian Ambassador’s residence, Tehran 2001 - Solo Exhibition, Artist studio 2000 - Group Exhibition, Haft-e Tir Charity event, Tehran 1998 - Group Exhibition, Pasargad Gallery, Tehran 1996 - Group Exhibition, Aria Gallery, Tehran 1993 - Group Exhibition, French Embassy cultural office, Tehran 1991- Group Exhibition - Center of creative arts, Tehran Commissioned Works 2008 - Persian Gulf Statute according to Abu Ashaq Estakhri’s map for Asaluyeh’s phase 9 and 10 (More info and More info) 2006 - Seven stone birds (Pigeons), House of Artists, Tehran 2004 - ‘The Earth’ by Abu Reyhan Birouni, Goftegu (Dialogue) Park, Tehran 1994 - Four large stone works, Jamshidieh Park, Tehran 1993 - ‘The Earth’ according to Abu Reyhan Birouni, Mehrabad Airport, Tehran 1991 - Logo for Urban Expansion of Tehran 1987 - Logo for the Renovation Office of Tehran’s Municipality 1987- Logo for the Mechanized Postal Service, Shiraz