An Examination of Iman Maleki’s Amazing Lifelike Art

Realism is not everything. If all an artist can do is create a painting which looks like a photograph, then you might as well just go for the photograph – it will be more accurate, not to mention a good deal cheaper! Imam Maleki’s paintings look like real life, but they offer so much more than that. In the 25 paintings below you’ll be able to identify themes, such as family and the education of women, a tangible sense of emotion and a love for Maleki’s native Iran.

Born in Tehran in 1976, Iman Maleki trained under Iran’s greatest realist painter, Morteza Katouzian. Graduating from the Art University of Tehran in 1999, he soon established the ARA Painting Studio, where he passes the teachings of Katouzian and his own skills onto the next generation of realist painters. The paintings which follow are a selection of works from throughout his career. Let us know what you think in the comments.

1. An Achaemenian Soldier (2001-2002)

A hirsute soldier of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BCE) stands proudly, spear and shield in hand. He represents the might of the largest empire in ancient history, prior to Alexander the Great. An empire forged by Cyrus the Great which spanned three continents- Asia, Africa and Europe.

2. Composing Music Secretly (1996)

Lit extremely well, this 100cm x 70cm canvas depicts a group of musicians coming together to practice their art in secrecy. The painting’s setting is left unstated, but it instantly evokes images of Afghanistan under Taliban rule and their ban on music.

3. Emigrant (2003)

In much of Maleki’s work, the background is represented in just as much loving detail as the characters which inhabit the foreground. In this piece, however, created using colored pencils on paper rather than the usual oils on canvas, the background has been omitted completely so as to focus the viewer’s full attention on the plight of the emigrants depicted.

4. Wish… (2000)

This wonderfully evocative piece of work represents one child’s dreams of a sunnier tomorrow. Chalk dust marks the subject’s hands and legs as she gazes imaginatively towards a dirty, brick wall.

5. Untitled (2001)

Oil on canvas is the medium for which Maleki is best known, but his pastel work captivates to a similar extent. Far more impressionistic, this untitled piece perfectly conveys a moody atmosphere under a tumultuous, Iranian sky.

6. The Old Album (2006)

The Old Album has been painted with stunning attention to detail. From the leaves of the creeping ivy behind to the varied flesh tones of the three girls in the foreground, one could be forgiven for mistaking this piece itself for a photograph from some old family scrapbook.

7. Fishmonger (1996)

The rather playfully entitled, Fishmonger, portrays a young boy, no older than eleven or twelve, selling goldfish for money on the roadside. Feet and hands dirtied by hard graft, he wearily offers up a small glass fishbowl with a gawping beauty inside.

8. End of examinations (1998)

Like any American or European boy, the subject of this painting chooses to celebrate the end of his exams with a biscuit and a paper airplane. Cultural differences are often least noticeable amongst children.

9. All Alone (2000)

Partially obscured by a concrete pillar, a mysterious character, presumed homeless, sits all alone in a dusty wasteland. While few of us have experiences such isolation, the painting taps directly into feelings of loneliness that we have all experienced in our lives.

10. Memory of That House (2001)

The leaves, the intricate brickwork and the light shining onto the walls and floor, not to mention the central figure herself, cross-legged, writing with a biro onto a scrap of paper, are all incredibly lifelike.

11. Sunlight (2004)

As I’ve mentioned numerous times already, Maleki’s use of light in his work is quite astonishing. Streaming through the window, sunlight has been reproduced effortlessly in this pensive painting.

12. Untitled (1997)

As usual, the stonework and lighting in this oil painting is spot on. Set against a backdrop of glass, wood and painted walls, a mother cradles her baby while another girl looks on in the unmistakable way of an older, jealous sibling.

13. Sisters and Book (1997)

From the same year as the painting above, this piece portrays two young sisters gazing into a book. Education and reading are subjects which crop up again and again in Maleki’s work.

14. Alley (2001)

Quite a departure from Maleki’s other works, this small pastel drawing, just 40cm x 30cm in size, shows an empty back alley in urban Iran. The varying colors of tree bark are particularly strong.

15. Portrait of the Late Mehran Lofti (2004)

Charcoal on paper, this drawing is of a man looking down, almost as if reading a book or lost in thought, the mark of an intellectual. In fact, Mehran Lofti was a tar player (see below) and is more than likely pictured looking down on his instrument.

16. A Tar Player (Portrait of the Late Mehran Lofti) (1998)

Looking down like the piece above, except this time with his tar in clear view, this painting depicts Mehran Lofti once more. Here, Maleki opts for his favored oils over charcoal.

17. A Custodian’s House (2001)

Usually associated with his figurative work, it’s easy to forget that Maleki has produced some stunning still life paintings too. This one shows the barred door of a custodian’s house, his trusty broom never far from hand.

18. A Girl by the Window (2000)

Despite obvious similarities, it’s unclear whether or not the girl in this painting is the same one who reads in Sisters and Book. This painting is one of the best examples of realism in Maleki’s portraits and the incredible way he reproduces human hair on the canvas.

19. A Sunset in Tehran (2006)

A Sunset in Tehran is a rather more impressionistic take on Maleki’s home city. The red brake lights of cars dominate the dusky landscape under dark, black clouds.

20. The Window (2006)

The Window depicts the undulating landscape of Iran’s countryside through the small, square window of a typical rural dwelling. Another cottage can be seen in the mid-distance.

21. Studying (1998)

Once again, reading takes centre stage in this image. The warm colors of the sofa on which the girl is laying help to convey the safe, comfortable feeling you get when absorbed in a good book.

22. Dizziness (1998)

Talk about getting lost in a book- the man at the centre of this painting is so immersed that the sky becomes filled with printed pages. The reason for this is not clear. Could Maleki be attempting to convey being overpowered by revision and study?

23. Untitled (1998)

It’s great to see that Maleki’s realism is not lost when he abandons his oils. Obviously, you’re not going to confuse this brown pencil on paper drawing for a photograph, but his understanding of the human form is clear for all to see.

24. Portrait of a Young Man (2004)

As stated above, Maleki paints human hair incredibly well. As you can see from this portrait, his skills are not limited to hair on the head. The arm hair in this image is perfectly realized.

25. Portrait of a Man (2002)

This portrait is a powerful depiction of an Iranian man. Eyes cast down, you get a strong sense of the personality behind the subject and the personal relationship between artist and model.