Behnam Khademi

Graphic work and photographer

Behnam Khademi is an Iranian painter, sculptor, and architect whose artistic practice is rooted in both ancient visual traditions and contemporary expression.

He began his artistic journey in childhood through calligraphy and later expanded into drawing and painting while studying architecture during his teenage years Under the mentorship of Iraj Mahdavian and Akbar Rafiei, he mastered oil and acrylic techniques, laying the foundation for his distinctive artistic language

From the beginning of his career, Khademi embraced an intuitive, spontaneous approach to creation—working without preliminary sketches and drawing inspiration from the emotional intensity of Expressionism and Abstract Expressionism

His works are characterized by a unique visual signature that integrates abstract expressionist forms with Iranian-Islamic letters, symbols, and motifs, echoing Iran’s six-thousand-year cultural heritage

His artistic references often extend to the patterned ceramics of the fourth millennium BCE from Sialk and Susa, the monumental visual culture of the Achaemenid and Parthian periods, and ancient Old Pahlavi scripts dating back more than three millennia

These historical echoes manifest through layered textures, symbolic forms, and a deeply expressive use of color

In 2014, Khademi’s works were shortlisted for an international art competition in Taiwan and exhibited there

That same year, studying under renowned sculptor Parviz Tanavoli marked a transformative moment in his practice, firmly establishing sculpture as an essential dimension of his artistic path

His sculptural works have since been widely exhibited and have achieved both critical and commercial success

Today, Khademi continues to explore new artistic territories by bridging past and present, physical and digital realms

Incorporating both traditional techniques and contemporary media, his practice now extends into the NFT space—creating a dialogue between material art and digital experience within a global visual language deeply rooted in Iranian identity