Hamed Morovati

Artist Biography

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  Hamed Morovati is an Iranian-Canadian painter and sculptor (Visual Artist). He currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada. His artistic path has been a non-linear journey marked by exploration and rediscovery. It began with an innate passion for painting in childhood, followed by university studies culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design, deep engagement with philosophy, cinema, and photography, and participation in numerous courses on drawing, painting, and sculpture.

  Despite a period of disillusionment with the art education system in Iran, which led to a multi-year hiatus from his practice, Morovati returned to the art world before the age of forty with renewed vigor and now dedicates himself wholeheartedly to painting and sculpture. Rooted in personal experiences, extensive study, and a critical perspective on the world, his work often fuses traditional Iranian elements (such as calligraphy, which he employs unconventionally to challenge its sacred status) with modern components and materials to forge a unique contemporary visual language.

  In his paintings and sculptures, Morovati boldly combines diverse materials – from acrylics, industrial paints, and markers in his paintings, to ceramics, concrete, plastic, and mirrors in his sculptures. This experimental approach reflects his boundless curiosity and desire to push boundaries. Core themes in his work include identity, social justice, abstraction, and the human form, creating a platform for dialogue between tradition and modernity, a critique of the past, and a reaction to contemporary events.

  As an innovative voice in the contemporary art scene, he continues to explore the cultural and social complexities of our time through a critical lens and an experimental practice.

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Artist Statement

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  For me, art is life itself – an escape from thought, the only moment I am fully immersed in the absolute present. Something boils within me, ignites – an insatiable desire to paint and sculpt. My works are a reaction to what I have lived, to the past I grapple with, and to the present I inhabit.

 I am inherently a critical person, and this critical gaze, particularly towards tradition, is woven into the fabric of my work. I utilize traditional elements, especially from Iranian culture, but I remove them from their familiar context and merge them with modern elements and materials. For instance, I deliberately employ calligraphy, which holds a sacred status in my culture, in a 'raw' or 'primitive' manner to strip away its aura of sanctity and raise questions about established values.

  I have an avid interest in experimenting with new materials and unconventional combinations. In my paintings, I mix an acrylic base with industrial paints, car paint, markers, and pastels. In my sculptures, I use everything from ceramics and concrete to plastic, mirrors, and anything else that offers new expressive possibilities. This play with materials is part of my process of discovery.

  The central themes of my work revolve around identity, social justice, abstract forms, and the human figure. Sometimes, creating a piece involves in-depth research and study; other times, like a child, I let myself go, allowing the work to take shape intuitively. Nevertheless, my pieces are often multi-layered and take considerable time to complete, a process during which I typically work on several projects simultaneously. Ultimately, my art is an endeavor to create dialogue, to challenge assumptions, and to reflect the complexities of the human experience in the contemporary world.