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Ebrahim Ehrari

Ebrahim Ehrari (born 1938 in Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran) is a Berlin-based freelance artist represented by Galerie Berlin-Baku. In 2007, he co-founded the gallery alongside his artist friend Salhab Mammadov and Mammadov's son, Emin Mammadov, based in Baku. Ehrari's early works were distinguished by graphic techniques reminiscent of symbolism. Over time, his style evolved into vibrant, abstract oil and acrylic paintings, often created on a larger scale..

Biography

Childhood and family

Ebrahim Ehrari was born in 1938 in Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, as the youngest of seven children. He grew up in a middle-class family; his father worked as a notary public, and his mother was a housewife. Ehrari's cultural identity was deeply influenced by his childhood experiences with the regional language, Azerbaijani. A pivotal moment came in 1946 when Persian troops defeated the Iranian province of Azerbaijan, leading to the introduction of Farsi as the official language. In public spaces, the use of his native language became associated with repression and reprisals. This disruption to his free expression had a lasting impact on Ehrari, fostering an early awareness of external influences—a theme that would emerge repeatedly in the content of his artistic work.

Youth and studies

Ebrahim Ehrari had a desire to study art at the University of Tehran – inspired by his drawing teacher – during his school days. In 1957, he completed grammar school with the Abitur. Despite minimal chances, he eventually passed the entrance exam at the University of Tehran, but his plan to study art was thwarted. His father expected him, like himself, to study law. However, his son was not willing to submit and from then on had to provide for his own livelihood. He financed himself with a wide range of jobs, and his studies became a distant prospect. From 1957 onwards, he worked as an advertising illustrator in the press department of the Ministry of Water and Electricity in Khuzestan (Southern Iran, province on the Persian Gulf) for his living. During this phase of his life, he was also the mayor of Bushehr (Southern Iran, province on the Persian Gulf). He also worked as a pipeline welder on the island of Kharg in Iran. Above all, the events experienced there have had a lasting influence on the artist's artistic approach, especially in his motifs. Through meetings with European colleagues and media reports, the dream of a free life in Europe grows within him.

The early years in Berlin

Finally, Ebrahim Ehrari moved to Berlin in 1966 to start over with his savings. In Berlin, he married Hanna Hufman from the Netherlands. With their support, he began studying graphic design at the University of Fine Arts in 1969 with professors Wolfgang Ludwig and Hans Förtsch. He completed his studies in 1973, which gave him creative opportunities to express his thoughts on social conflicts through artistic means. During this period of reorientation, Ebrahim Ehrari became the father of two daughters.

The return to Iran

Due to his attachment to his homeland and to convey the fundamentals he had learned in his homeland, Ebrahim Ehrari became a lecturer in graphic techniques at the Faculty of Arts of the Academy of Applied Arts in Tehran in 1973. However, this did not provide the necessary satisfaction; there was too much surveillance and restrictions from the Iranian secret service SAWAK. In addition, the lecturer had too few linguistic means of expression to be able to convey the technical language he had learned in Berlin to his students in the old national language. In the same year, Ebrahim Ehrari met Kurt Scharf, director of the Goethe-Institut Tehran, and over the years would become a close confidant of Ehrari, in addition to being responsible for some of the accompanying texts for the art catalogues that were published. This led to Ebrahim Ehrari being responsible for the organization of exhibitions at the Goethe-Institut in Tehran in 1975 as part of the German-Iranian cultural work. In addition, Ebrahim Ehrari remained true to his artistic practice during this time, working with optical illusions that stand out completely through precision and illusion.

Permanent move to Berlin and further career

In 1975, Ebrahim Ehrari and his wife, who did not agree with the conditions of the system controlled by the secret service, decided to return to Berlin with their children. Ebrahim Ehrari eventually studied art history at the Freie Universität until 1976. However, the Eurocentrism of the subject disappointed him and he interrupted his studies in art history. From 1976 to 2003, he was head of the etching workshop of the Federal Association of Visual Artists Berlin (BBK) at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien. This activity enabled him to finally devote himself to his artistic work.

From 1981 to 2007, Ebrahim Ehrari was a member of the Lankwitz Cultural Initiative, which later became the Schwartz'sche Villa association, of which he took over the chairmanship in 1986. In 1984, the artist moved into his first own studio, also in Steglitz. In 1985, the artist received an artist-in-residence grant at the Arts Council in Belfast for 12 months. From 1988 to 2010, he was chairman of the Azerbaijani-German Cultural Promotion Association in Berlin. During this phase of his life, Ebrahim Ehrari became an important figure in Berlin and the international art scene with a number of exhibition projects.

Since 1979, Ebrahim Ehrari has been a member of the Association of Berlin Artists (VBK). Until 2010, he was also a member of the Professional Association of Visual Artists (BBK).

at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien. This activity enabled him to finally devote himself to his artistic work.

From 1981 to 2007, Ebrahim Ehrari was a member of the Lankwitz Cultural Initiative, which later became the Schwartz'sche Villa association, of which he took over the chairmanship in 1986. In 1984, the artist moved into his first own studio, also in Steglitz. In 1985, the artist received an artist-in-residence grant from the Arts Council in Belfast for 12 months. From 1988 to 2010, he was chairman of the Azerbaijani German Cultural Promotion Association in Berlin. During this phase of his life, Ebrahim Ehrari became an important figure in Berlin and the international art scene with a number of exhibition projects.

Ebrahim Ehrari has been a member of the Association of Berlin Artists (VBK) since 1979. Until 2010, he was also a member of the Professional Association of Visual Artists (BBK).

Since 1983, Ebrahim Ehrari has been instrumental in cultural exchange between Germany and the Republic of Azerbaijan (a former Soviet republic), after which he founded the Berlin-Baku Gallery in 2007 together with his artist friend Salhab Mammadov and his son Emin Mammadov. The gallery in Berlin-Schöneberg is the partner gallery of the QGallery in Baku. It promotes cultural relations between Azerbaijan, Germany and the world. Since then, Ebrahim Ehrari has been represented in the gallery's artist program, where his daughter Parwane Ehrari took over the management in 2014.

Ebrahim Ehrari lives with his family in Berlin and still works there as a freelance artist.

Awards

Ebrahim Ehrari was awarded an honorary doctorate from Baku Free University, Azerbaijan, in 1993. In 2003, he also received an honorary doctorate from the State Academy of Fine Arts in Baku. Furthermore, in 2011, he was appointed Honorary Artistic Assistant of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his commitment.

Early work

After graduating from high school, Ebrahim Ehrari spent a lot of time on the open sea through his work as a pipeline welder and was deeply involved in the underwater world there. The stillness and clarity of the water fascinated him so much that these impressions continue to influence his works. At the same time, he was also moved by the associated environmental destruction, the breaking of this stillness, the swirling seabed and its disturbed habitat as a mirror of his own childhood life experiences. For him, these experiences were best translated into etching techniques. A special feature of his motifs were enigmatic and encrypted pictorial worlds that require deciphering and one's own interpretation. This is not about striving for a realistic representation in art, but one with the theme of the image within the image.

“I am a person with so many pent-up problems from my childhood and problems from my country and my culture that I need such an enigmatic form of expression.”

– Ebrahim Ehrari: “Mixed Feelings” – Etching Techniques and Graphics, p. 19.

Ebrahim Ehrari is particularly interested in developing a universal visual language that can be understood both in his homeland and in Germany. For this reason, he brings together expressions of symbolism, realism and pseudo-realism. A popular stylistic device is optical illusions, which are able to draw people's attention to what is happening in the picture by thinking about what they see, going beyond everyday structures and thus reaching a new level.

In this creative phase, Ebrahim Ehrari's depictions mainly show the representation of spaces that express people's security and withdrawal and are at the same time an illusion. Man, who can appear in many forms, is trapped in them and must develop the courage to want to break out of this fixed structure of order and rules. The artist achieves this by suspending perspective and proportionality as well as an iconography that unfolds on several levels of reality.

Ebrahim Ehrari shows exceptional skill in his graphic works. Especially in color etchings and aqua tinta, which are characterized by their richness of detail. At the same time, they have a deeper visual language that refers to new visual worlds with their symbols and breaks with common ideas. The fusion of European and Oriental pictorial traditions is Ehrari's primary intention, that is, a combination of concrete image and poetic beauty. The artist achieves this above all through his expressive symbolism. His rooms stand for limitation, for example, a tip for danger, water for life and the horse for strength.

Further development of artistry and today's artistic creation

In the course of his artistic work, Ebrahim Ehrari gradually engaged with various other techniques, including mixed media, leaving graphic expression behind. The three-year occupation with computer art eventually led the original graphic artist to painting, whose expressive possibilities Ebrahim Ehrari still uses today. He has also remained faithful to his originally developed enigmatic visual language with its extraordinary symbolism and also the imaginative and socially critical theme. Already in the second half of the 80s, mixed techniques were created that were less figurative and showed increasing color intensity. This motif and tendency is expressed in the current paintings in distinctive colorful representations on formats that are often more than twice the size of his graphic works.

For a long time, etchings loaded with symbols were the best way to convey Ehrari's attitude towards life. For example, he used the sea as a symbol of memory to process past experiences. Ebrahim Ehrari also justified the graphic working method by saying that she did not have the opportunity to let her imagination run wild. Everything had to be designed in her head in advance.

It is all the more remarkable for the artistic artistry that it evolved into oil and acrylic painting on canvas in the 2000s. A painting style that is characterized entirely by chance, reworking and spontaneity. Ehrari's latest catalog (2015) lists and describes twelve of these works in order to understand the background for each motif choice. As in previous catalogs, this article is also written by Kurt Scharf. For example, the work Pomegranate from Sheki (2013) shows a bright red pomegranate in the center of the picture. In the Quran, this refers to paradise. Generally, this symbol has only positive properties in other religions and reminds us of its roots in the background: the Azerbaijani mountain landscape. Ebrahim Ehrari's works, like this one, are characterized by the representation of concrete in combination with color in its purest form, sometimes more, sometimes less. The background is only partially recognizable as a landscape, the rest plays with the viewer's imagination and leaves plenty of room for one's own interpretation. The exploration of structures and surfaces are also other characteristics of Ebrahim Ehrari's paintings.

Ebrahim Ehrari's works are represented in numerous collections in Germany and abroad, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Germany, France, Greece, Great Britain, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, South Korea, the Czech Republic and the United States.

His artistic oeuvre comprises around 3,000 works. It includes around 2,500 graphic works.

Cultural activities

In the 1980s, Ebrahim Ehrari met Nabi Xazri, who was preparing the Azerbaijani Culture Week in Berlin, for which Ebrahim Ehrari would later become responsible. This meeting also resulted in the first visit to Baku, which would lead to another important meeting – with Salhab Mammadov. There, the artist also established contact with the Azerbaijani Artists’ Association. This was the beginning of Ebrahim Ehrari’s significant contribution to the further development of cultural activities in Berlin. In 1987, he founded the Azerbaijani-German Association for the Promotion of Culture, which decisively promoted cultural exchange between the two countries.

Through the meeting with Elcin Afandiyev (Baku Heritage Association) at the end of the 1980s, several important cultural projects were launched – both in Baku and in Berlin – including in the fields of theater, film, art, music and dance, which further promoted the exchange of cultural relations between Germany and Azerbaijan.

In 1991, Ebrahim Ehrari was responsible for the organization on behalf of Azerbaijan as part of the Caucasian Culture Month at the House of World Cultures in Berlin. This was followed – also at the HdKdW – by a number of culturally relevant activities, including readings, festivals and supervision of the Caucasian Culture Month (1991) and the Azerbaijani Culture Week (1993). In the same year, he was part of the cooperation between the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan and the Academy of Fine Arts in Baku.

In 2007, Ebrahim Ehrari was involved as an organizer and artist in an exhibition with various artists from seven countries in the Silk Road in Berlin-Mitte. For the Buddy Bear exhibitions, he designed three bears (two large and one small) with motifs typical of Azerbaijan. The first bear was acquired by Berlin Waterworks; the second bear traveled around the world together with the bears from the other nations. His version of the little bear was last seen at Wittenbergplatz in Berlin.

Ebrahim Ehrari has also successfully attempted to commemorate the events of Khojaly; erecting a Khojaly sculpture by Akif Asgarov, Ali Ibaduillayev and Salhab Mammadov in the public space of Berlin. It has been in memory and admonition for all people since 2011 in the Gottfried Benn Library in Berlin Steglitz-Zehlendorf. They were ceremonially unveiled by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Adalat Veliyev and Cerstin Richter-Kotowski, City Councilor for Education, Culture and Educational Services, as well as Norbert Kopp, District Mayor, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Berlin H.E. Parviz Shahbazov.

Since 2014, the Baku Academy of Fine Arts has been working together with the Weißensee Academy of Art on the initiative of Ebrahim Ehrari, which promotes student exchange within the framework of projects and residencies in the respective partner city.

Many of Ehrari's activities took place in collaboration with the Azerbaijani Embassy, where the artist also sits on the cultural advisory board, with the Azerbaijani Artists' Association, BKK, the Schwarzsche Villa, and the Künstlerhaus Bethanien.

note

References

^ "Galerie Berlin-Baku". Retrieved 2018-04-11.

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Ebrahim Ehrari: Life and Art Early Life and Education Ebrahim Ehrari was born in 1938 in Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, as the youngest of seven children in a middle-class family. His father was a notary public, and his mother a housewife. Ehrari's cultural identity was shaped by his early experiences with the Azerbaijani language, which faced severe repression after the Iranian province of Azerbaijan fell to Persian troops in 1946. The enforcement of Farsi as the official language led to restrictions on his native tongue, leaving a lasting impact on Ehrari's outlook and art, as he grappled with themes of identity and external control.

Encouraged by his school drawing teacher, Ehrari aspired to study art at the University of Tehran. Despite familial expectations to pursue law, he resisted, leaving him to finance his education independently. From 1957, he worked various jobs, including as an advertising illustrator for the Ministry of Water and Electricity in Khuzestan and later as a pipeline welder on Kharg Island. His experiences during this period, especially witnessing the beauty and destruction of the sea, profoundly influenced his artistic motifs.

Move to Berlin and Artistic Rebirth In 1966, Ehrari moved to Berlin, seeking a fresh start. He married Hanna Hufman from the Netherlands, who supported his artistic aspirations. In 1969, he began studying graphic design at the University of Fine Arts under Wolfgang Ludwig and Hans Förtsch, graduating in 1973. During this transformative period, Ehrari explored social conflicts through art and became the father of two daughters.

Return to Iran and Cultural Work In 1973, Ehrari returned to Iran as a lecturer at the Academy of Applied Arts in Tehran. However, dissatisfaction with surveillance by the Iranian secret service (SAVAK) and language barriers in teaching technical terms diminished his fulfillment. He became involved with the Goethe-Institut Tehran, organizing exhibitions and fostering German-Iranian cultural exchanges. Despite these contributions, restrictions in Iran motivated his return to Berlin in 1975.

Artistic Career in Berlin Back in Berlin, Ehrari studied art history at Freie Universität but was disillusioned by its Eurocentric focus. From 1976 to 2003, he headed the etching workshop at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, a role that enabled him to focus on his art.

Ehrari became an influential figure in Berlin's art scene. He chaired the Schwartz'sche Villa association, was a founding member of the Azerbaijani-German Cultural Promotion Association, and served on cultural initiatives that strengthened ties between Germany and Azerbaijan. In 2007, he co-founded the Berlin-Baku Gallery, fostering cultural exchange and exhibiting his own works.

Artistic Style and Evolution Ehrari’s early work primarily consisted of etchings inspired by the underwater world, combining symbolism and realism to explore themes of memory, identity, and environmental destruction. His graphic works are noted for their intricate detail and layered symbolism, blending European and Oriental artistic traditions.

In the 1980s, Ehrari transitioned to mixed media and painting, embracing color and spontaneity. By the 2000s, his large-scale oil and acrylic paintings reflected a freer, more abstract approach, while maintaining his characteristic enigmatic symbolism. Works like Pomegranate from Sheki (2013) exemplify his ability to merge cultural heritage with vibrant, imaginative expression.

Recognition and Legacy Ehrari’s contributions to art and cultural exchange have earned him numerous accolades, including honorary doctorates from Baku Free University (1993) and the State Academy of Fine Arts in Baku (2003). In 2011, he was appointed Honorary Artistic Assistant of Azerbaijan. His works are held in collections worldwide, spanning Germany, Iran, Azerbaijan, and beyond.

To date, Ehrari’s oeuvre comprises approximately 3,000 works, including 2,500 graphic pieces. His ability to merge Eastern and Western artistic elements has solidified his legacy as a bridge between cultures, making him a significant figure in contemporary art.

Cultural Activities In the 1980s, Ebrahim Ehrari’s cultural contributions began to take shape following a pivotal meeting with Nabi Xazri, who was organizing the Azerbaijani Culture Week in Berlin. Ehrari’s involvement in this event marked the start of his long-standing commitment to fostering cultural exchange. During his first visit to Baku, he met Salhab Mammadov and established connections with the Azerbaijani Artists’ Association, which laid the foundation for his significant role in strengthening ties between Berlin and Azerbaijan.

In 1987, Ehrari founded the Azerbaijani-German Association for the Promotion of Culture, which became a driving force in advancing artistic and cultural exchange between the two nations. Toward the late 1980s, his collaboration with Elcin Afandiyev from the Baku Heritage Association led to a range of impactful cultural projects spanning theater, film, art, music, and dance. These initiatives enriched the cultural landscapes of both Berlin and Baku.

In 1991, Ehrari played a key role in organizing the Caucasian Culture Month at Berlin’s House of World Cultures (HdKdW), representing Azerbaijan. This initiative was followed by a series of events at the same venue, including readings, festivals, and the Azerbaijani Culture Week in 1993. That same year, he facilitated a collaboration between the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan and the Academy of Fine Arts in Baku, further cementing his influence in international cultural relations.

Ehrari’s dedication to fostering intercultural understanding extended to the visual arts. In 2007, he participated as both organizer and artist in an exhibition featuring artists from seven countries along the historic Silk Road, held in Berlin-Mitte. Additionally, he designed three Buddy Bears – two large and one small – with motifs inspired by Azerbaijani culture. One bear was acquired by Berlin Waterworks, another traveled internationally as part of the Buddy Bear project, and the smaller bear was last displayed at Berlin’s Wittenbergplatz.

Ehrari also contributed to commemorating significant historical events. In 2011, he oversaw the erection of a Khojaly sculpture by Akif Asgarov, Ali Ibaduillayev, and Salhab Mammadov in Berlin’s Gottfried Benn Library. This memorial honors the victims of the Khojaly tragedy and serves as a solemn reminder to all. The sculpture was unveiled by notable dignitaries, including Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Culture Adalat Veliyev, Berlin City Councilor Cerstin Richter-Kotowski, District Mayor Norbert Kopp, and the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Parviz Shahbazov.

Since 2014, Ehrari has facilitated a partnership between the Baku Academy of Fine Arts and the Weißensee Academy of Art in Berlin. This initiative promotes student exchange programs and collaborative projects, fostering artistic dialogue between the two cities.

Many of Ehrari’s endeavors were conducted in collaboration with the Azerbaijani Embassy, where he serves on the cultural advisory board, as well as with the Azerbaijani Artists’ Association, the Federal Association of Visual Artists (BKK), the Schwarzsche Villa, and the Künstlerhaus Bethanien.

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