| Bahram Kalhornia | |
| Birth Date: | 30th March 1952 |
| Birth Place: | Kermanshah, Iran |
| Nationality: | Iranian |
| Education: | University of Decorative Arts |
| Known For: | Fine arts, drawing and painting |
| Spouse: | Forough Dorafshan |
| Native Name: | بهرام کلهرنیا |
Bahram Kalhornia (Persian: بهرام کلهرنیا; 1952) is a drawing artist, sculptor, graphic designer, painter, researcher, and educator in the field of art from Iran.
Kalhornia was born into a prominent family with a cultural background from the Kurdish Kalhor tribe in Kermanshah on March 30, 1952. Throughout his childhood and youth, living in the city and the countryside allowed him to experience the vibrant nature of the western region of Iran, and become familiar with and benefit from the world of plants and animals. Additionally, his exposure to the stories, beliefs, ethnic experiences, work methods, and lifestyles of the people, as well as hearing epic tales from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and Kurdish Shahnameh, and blending these concepts with the lifestyle and aspirations of the tribal community, left a profound and lasting impact on him, greatly influencing his life path and the works he created. During his school days at Dr. Abdolhamid Zangeneh High School in Kermanshah, the presence of influential and humanistic teachers such as Saeednia, Etekal, Toulaii, Nazempour, Katanchi, Sadri, and others expanded his thinking, and attention to the value of “questioning”. In his childhood and adolescence, due to the cultural atmosphere of his family, guidance, and support from some relatives, the enthusiasm for reading took root in him, and it was during this period that he eagerly read various books in the fields of sciences, sociology, history, and especially classical literature with great interest.
In 1972, by entering the University of Decorative Arts in Tehran, Kalhornia became acquainted with a variety of artistic practices and various fields of visual work. The formation of new social relationships between him and the professors and fellow students created years full of intellectual motivations for him. His years at the university provided a good opportunity for practice, work, effort, and discovery. During these years, his presence beside his professors such as Shiddel, Lilit Teryan, Hossein Kazemi, Mohammad Ebrahim Jafari, Gholamhossein Nami, Mirfenderski, Anvari, and Ahrari contributed to the flourishing of his existential values. Among them, Shiddel and Teryan, in closer relationships, influenced his emotional-intellectual life. More than two years of companionship and collaboration with Professor Shiddel during the execution of a large mural painting at the Agricultural Palace in Tehran led to development of his intellectual and practical abilities in artistic activities. During his years at the University of Decorative Arts, he carried out pioneering and cultural activities due to social motivations in cooperation with some professors and fellow students. Initiating the first student magazine, establishing a library, forming a theater group under the guidance of Professor Abolhasan Vandehvar, organizing poetry and literature nights, lectures, and dozens of other efforts all contributed to the creation of a comprehensive and dynamic cultural perspective, and the results of these capabilities proved beneficial in the subsequent years in the course of his educational experiences as an art instructor.
After completing his military service, Kalhornia collaborated with the University of Art for one year. Returning to Kermanshah during the Iran-Iraq war, with the intention of working, being active, and serving in his hometown, provided an opportunity to establish the first School of Visual Arts for Boys in Kermanshah and collaborate with art education centers and other organizations. This period also contributed to the formation of the foundations of his thoughts regarding the remnants of the traditional way of life and the mythological thinking of the Kurdish people in the region, which over time led to a more comprehensive understanding of national foundational myths.
The establishment of the Kermanshah Visual Art School, along with his wife Forough Dorafshan and Morteza Sharifi, created a chance for talented young people to find new opportunities for growth and development. From this art school emerged some valuable figures in Iran’s contemporary world of art and contemplation, such as Fereidoun Biglari (archaeologist), Ardeshir Pazhouheshi, Masoud Hemmati, Mohammad Reza Naderi, Kamran Sharifi, and others. After returning to Tehran, his collaboration with the Faculty of Art and Architecture of the Central Tehran Branch of the Islamic Azad University began in 1990. His long teaching career continued until 2022. During these years, many individuals in the fields of intellectual, scientific, and artistic activities flourished under his influence. The Department of Visual Design, by his management from 1996, had a brilliant and successful educational period.
Teaching various art disciplines at the Faculty of Cinema and Broadcasting and other educational centers, collaborating with the commission for authoring art education books of the University of Applied Science and Technology, and collaborating with governmental and non-governmental organizations, both nationally and internationally, as a consultant and advisor in research, art, and culture are among his activities.
His teaching method arises from the interweaving of artistic, spiritual, psychological, and philosophical values. He draws inspiration from ancient Iranian myths in creating his works, and the concept of good and evil in them is reflected extensively. Some critics consider him the William Blake of Iran, and he is also remembered as one of the prominent representatives of Iranian painting-poetry.
Throughout the years, due to his intellectual position and diverse thinking, he presented numerous lectures on various concepts in various centers.
Planning, consulting, and executing cultural projects, and participating in many art festivals as a member of the policy-making council, director, or judge, are among his activities. Various artistic-cultural commissions, especially in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, IRIB, Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Energy, Khuzestan Sugar Cane Board, municipalities, Jahad University, various museums, and also civil institutions such as UNESCO and UNICEF, have benefited from his skills and way of thinking in multiple periods. Serving as an art director, both in economic projects and cultural institutions or with publishers, has been part of his efforts.
Alongside these activities, participation in group art exhibitions and holding several solo exhibitions are also notable in his portfolio.
Due to his analytical-critical thinking, extensive engagement in visual projects and educational studies, and dissemination of certain perspectives, Kalhornia has become known as an independent figure and a thinker. Over the years, various national organizations and institutions have held ceremonies to honor him. These include the Niavaran Cultural Center, Administration of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kermanshah, the award of the Sarv-e Mordad medal by the Graphic Designers Association of Kermanshah in recognition of his founding of graphic education in Kermanshah (2011), the launch of the Cultural House in Sarpol-e Zahab in his name, and others.
Since the formation of the Iranian Graphic Designers Society (IGDS), Bahram Kalhornia, along with other graphic pioneers, has collaborated as a member and in some periods as a member of the board of directors with the association and has had an influential role in shaping its legal framework and drafting executive regulations. Since 2011, he has also been an honorary member of the Graphic Designers Association of Kermanshah.
During a period of activities at IRIB, while providing technical consultations to improve production quality in Channel 4, he produced programs such as "Simaye 4" and "Char Khand-e Kherad" in 2007-2008 with a cultural and social focus, presenting analytical and critical analyses.
In 2019, Bahram Kalhornia established "Vard Gallery," a cultural center to fulfill his artistic-cultural desires and aspirations, enabling him to continue his activities in a new role. This led to the organization of numerous exhibitions and numerous critical analysis and discussion sessions on artistic concepts. These days, alongside cultural-artistic-research activities, he is actively involved as the chairman of the board of directors of the Iranian Graphic Designers Society (IGDS) and a member of the Supreme Council of the Iranian Artists Forum in creating suitable conditions for the activities of artists and cultural figures.
In an interview about his artworks in the "Sahm-e Shak (Share of Doubt)” solo exhibition, he said: "In my works, I have placed mirrors in front of my viewers so that they may discover other aspects of their existence. If we set aside physical appearance, there is something else within us, within our beings. Inside me, riders and warriors have set an ambush. Inside another person, bandits lie in wait, and inside yet another, a mythical bird sings. Life has blocked the expression of these creatures. We do not see our hidden selves, and we have closed our ears to our storyteller's voice. I have awakened these things and shown the viewer that they also reside within. When several people like one drawing, I realize what interesting commonalities exist among them. I realize that the hidden entity and the archetypal existence can sensitize people to these paintings and uplift them. This is important to me.
The reality of the matter is that these things have not suddenly appeared; they have existed before me. The world is an eternal phenomenon, and I only have a short opportunity to experience a small section of existence. The eternal entity of existence flows within me. I live my life differently, whether in the awe of my cosmic existence or the awe of my personal life. I have read well, lived well, utilized the resources of the world well, and been enriched by the blessings of the universe. I believe that every person has multiple personas within themselves; beings that lie beneath their skin and are destined to awaken and take charge at any moment. If anyone observes their behavior from dawn to dusk, they can understand the changes within themselves. A person is constantly changing, and this change is connected to the breath of the entities within us.
In the thoughts of the wise scholars of Iranian contemplation, the diversity, the thousand faces, and the Simurgh-like nature of individuals are always discussed. I take this very seriously and believe that the history of each individual is embedded with thousands of people. Sometimes we do not perceive it, and sometimes it is close to us. Due to my way of life, I have become close to this world. Not only have I become close to it, but in returning to within, I have played, been childish, mischievous, and lazy. I have stood alongside heroes, criminals, outlaws, and... I have wandered in this world, slept, woken up, and fallen in love. I do not want to believe, but I want to accept that the destiny that humanity has found and has turned into a superficial and low-quality consumer is the authentic destiny of humanity. I believe that the existential roots of humans are much richer and stronger than what they, themselves think. We have a historical entity, and in this historical entity, the wonders of creation are found, and these wonders are other faces of our existence that have come in this form."[1]
Hossein Norouzi, an art critic and painter, wrote about Kalhornia's works in the solo exhibition "Sahm-e Shak (Share of Doubt)”: "Personalities and special talents and creativity of some individuals seem to be overlooked among many, often remaining unseen or barely noticed. I'm referring to someone like Bahram Kalhornia. A man whose cloak of many knowledge and arts are fitting and dignified on him, and no cloak of Iranian knowledge and culture and art does not suit him.[2]
A knowledgeable man and in the old sense, wise, artist, orator, teacher, and capable presenter in grand gatherings and mass media, possessing an eloquent expression, his words are like obedient servants of his sweet discourse and processing mind, and the owner of ideas and thoughts in the field of major management and influential contemporary art in Iran.
... But this time Bahram Kalhornia appears on the stage of his life in another garment and in a surprising guise; Kalhornia, a worthy and capable drawing artist. With magnificent works in dimensions not so common and ordinary. This time, our contemporary master sculptor exhibits a collection of unconventional drawings that neither I nor many others have seen and were unaware of their existence, at A Gallery in Tehran. The power of hand in drawing engages the viewer with extremely influential and stimulating compositions, and themes that attempt to convey a new concept among ancient myths and powerful contemporary figures in an artistically expressive manner.
Kalhornia is a sharp and highly multifaceted diamond. His personality and artistic character cannot be recognized all at once. An artist intensely layered like his Iranian predecessors and a man who is restless and unsettled. Although he shows us the passage of time with his white beard, his creative force, enthusiasm, and hope are equal to the younger generation. With his exemplary humility, calmness, and teaching manner, he brings attention to the shortcomings in the field of contemporary visual arts in Iran.
Drawing! In his works, he wholeheartedly reminds us of the solitude of graphite, the seclusion of blacks and grays, and the overlooked value of drawing as an Intersection and fundamental element of many visual arts."