Tavakol Esmaeili (1302-1373), known as “Mesh Esmaeili,” was a self-taught sculptor who began his sculpting career in 1963 while he was an employee of the Faculty of Fine Arts. Due to his amazing talent and creativity, he soon came to the attention of Houshang Seyhoun (the then director of the faculty) and was promoted to assistant professor of sculpture. It was here that he learned the basic principles of academic sculpture alongside Parviz Tanavoli. Tanavoli’s support for Mesh Esmaeili brought his sculptures to the attention of art lovers, gallery owners, and domestic and foreign collectors. Mesh Esmaeili’s works, due to their simplicity and connection to the oral culture of the surrounding society, acquired a unique language that is understandable to all segments of society. In most of his works, including the present work, Mesh Esmail has created a uniform and eye-catching texture with his own unique welding technique, which can be studied in the classification of contemporary art history as public art. Mesh Esmail's sculptures are a fitting combination of contrasts; he is the one who creates a gentle bed for his hidden emotions with seemingly useless pieces and discarded scrap iron, and this is where he should be considered, after Jazeh Tabatbayee, as one of the most creative sculptors in contemporary Iranian history.


فارسی