Salman Moghadasi’s Sheyda: A Dialogue Between Pollock’s Chaos and Rumi’s Grace

Sheyda’s painting in Salman Moghadasi's collection of works can perhaps be a pivotal point in his artistic process, which is clearly linked to the foundations of Abstract Expressionism.

IranArt : We analyze the different work of “Sheyda” by Salman Moghadasi; 

Sheyda’s painting was executed in three layers with dimensions of 500×200 centimeters using the technique of natural and traditional materials and colors with acrylic paste and was exhibited in Tehran in 2019 and has been exhibited in Dubai.

Sheyda’s Painting" in Salman Moghadasi's collection of works can perhaps be a pivotal point in his artistic process that is clearly linked to the foundations of Abstract Expressionism. 

Similar to the process observed in the works of artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Arshile Gorky, it seems that “Sheyda” also flowed on the canvas from the unconscious heart and in an immediate moment. 

This work was born of a gap between the silence of the night and the invisible layers of the mind, somewhere between control and liberation.

Like Pollock, who used free movement and flow to externalize the unconscious, Salman deliberately distanced himself from the classical frameworks in “Sheyda” and allowed the movement of the hand and the blows to impose themselves on the surface of the canvas, in that vastness.

As in De Kooning's works, in which the boundary between figure and abstraction disappears, in “Sheyda” , the forms remained suspended between allusion and omission, approaching the pure space of emotional expression.

On the other hand, perhaps the influence of Arshile Gorky is reflected in the fearless confrontation with internal wounds and doubts in this work. Gorky, with his personal sensitivity, narrated his pain and memories in an abstract context.

Additionally, the simplicity and spiritual void that are always inspiring in Mark Rothko's works are implicitly present in “Sheyda”—a space where colors, silence, and presence directly speak to the viewer instead of narrating.

Salman Moghadasi himself says about this piece: “Sheyda”,for me, was not merely the product of skill or aesthetics, but became a field for the emergence of the unconscious and complete liberation. The last strokes of my large brush in this work were not the end of a process, but marked the beginning of a new phase in my artistic life."

Moghadasi emphasizes: "The moment when the work and creator merged into a singular act, akin to the essence of Abstract Expressionism. A moment that brought me directly closer to the wish of the Iranian poet Rumi—the longing for unity and dance with the beloved, in the peak of freedom and detachment from time and space.

_ Moghadasi's showroom on Al Khayat Avenue in Dubai

Following successful shows throughout Iran, the Middle East, China, and Russia, Moghadasi unveiled a unique and thought-provoking collection in 2023 on Dubai's famed art strip, Al Khayat Avenue.

This phase is the start of new journeys and, in a sense, his second significant and protracted step toward achieving stunning and creative visions.

His life and endeavors are not solely focused on delivering a magnificent work of art. However, it also reflects his great commitment to developing a field of ideas for human beings to achieve perfection. And because of this, he is now one of the most prominent and up-and-coming figures in the field of modern art.