Nicky Nodjoumi
b. 1942 / Kermanshah
Nicky Nodjoumi is an Iranian-American painter who was born in 1942 in Kermanshah, Iran. He is known for his artworks that address Iranian politics, history, power and corruption. Nodjoumi studied Fine Arts at Tehran University and moved to the United States in the late 1960s. He received his Master's degree in Fine Arts from the City College of New York in 1974.
He returned to Iran after his studies and was involved in the political revolution that opposed the Shah's regime. He was exiled from Iran in 1981 and settled in Brooklyn, New York. His paintings often depict absurd and surreal scenes that combine different elements such as mullahs, men in suits, horses and apes. He uses ambiguity and drama to comment on the socio-political events in Iran and the world. His artworks are in several prominent collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London, the Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, and the National Museum of Cuba.
He has exhibited his works at various galleries and museums, such as the LA County Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Barakat Contemporary in Seoul. Nicky Nodjoumi is a respected and influential artist who has used his paintings as a medium to express his views and experiences. He is one of the most prominent Iranian-American artists of his generation.