Reza DERAKSHANI (Sangsar - Northern Iran, 1952).

Lives and works between Austin, TX, USA and St. Petersburg, Russia.

He graduated from the Fine Art department at the University of Tehran and later returned as a faculty member. His appreciation for the beauty of nature is apparent in his work, as is his inspiration from Persian art and folkloric traditions, using the imagery of gardens, Qajar painting, epics, and miniatures. His paintings incorporate an original and wide array of mediums, including oil paint, crude oil, sand, and gold and silver leaf, in a process that is at once innovative and contemporary as well as deeply connected to the history of painting, poetry, and craftsmanship.

Derakshani has exhibited internationally and his work can be found in the collections of Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Salsali Private Museum, Dubai and The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts.