Each painting is a snapshot of life in movement, a way to freeze a moment long enough to share it before it is irrevocably lost.
Ali Esmaeilipour’s current paintings deal in objects, which he paints with impeccable technique. As a result, the little tableaus of lace, fruit, animals, fabrics and birds can be disarmingly beautiful. But look more carefully and there is often a sense of disquiet in these works.
“Being an artist means to re-­create the world as you see it, so that people can understand the meaning of your life” states Ali Esmaeilipour.
For almost three decades now, Ali Esmaeilipour has been inviting you into his inner realm by means of his canvas. Personal objects, rendered in a realistic yet lyrical manner, are often the focus of his paintings.
The body of his work has often been categorised as “still life” but this remains a label Ali disagrees with. Objects, he states, are the principal players in Ali’s paintings because they are visual representations of a thought or a sentiment, and their combination enables Ali to create both an emotional depth and a sense of time that is almost tangible to the beholder.
There is very little of the “nature morte” in these visual windows that is reflected into the artist’s soul. Instead, each painting is a snapshot of life in movement, a way to freeze a moment long enough to share it before it is irrevocably lost.
“My intention is not to paint beauty” explains Ali. The objects present in his paintings are not chosen for aesthetic purposes, nor does Ali seek to artificially produce a harmonious composition.
Ali’s journey begins in Tehran, where he studied at the renowned Zangar Art Institute under the tutelage of Professor Aydin Aghdashlou, one of Iran’s most respected artists. His rise within the art circles was swift, and following numerous group exhibitions and four successful solo exhibitions he rapidly became a recognised artist in his native land.
His success was sealed when he won the prestigious 4th Biennale at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran in 1997. And, when the opportunity arose to establish himself as an artist in Singapore in 1999, Ali did not hesitate to move continents. Ali has participated in solo, joint and group exhibitions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, New York, Miami, New Orleans and Tehran.
His works have been shown at the Singapore Art Museum, and collected by the Contemporary Art Museum of Tehran, the Cultural Heritage Museum of Iran and the International Olympics Women and Sport Commission.
In 1997, Ali received the Artist Award at the 4th Biennial Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum of Tehran as well as the First Prize in 2001, for the International Artist Magazine in Australia.
Ali has recently participated in the "Best of Acrylic 2014" competition where his painting "Through Time" was selected to be published in North Light Books’ second annual "Acrylic Works 2: Radical Breakthroughs".