Born in the city of Shiraz, Iran in 1951, Hessam was the son of middle-class parents; one of eight brothers and sisters. He attended public schools and it was through the encouragement of a high school teacher that Hessam discovered his love of art and his talent for painting. He soon became obsessed. At 17, Hessam received his first award for painting. A year later he won top honors in a national student competition and at 19, he achieved first-place in the Iranian New Artists Competition. Many other national and international honors followed.
After his military service, Hessam went to Italy – “the center of art in Europe” – to study. He completed his Master’s Degree and developed his own style of impressionism. He notes he was influenced most by the artistic atmosphere in Italy in general. “Colors were bright and the atmosphere was quite relaxed” he remembers.
“I don’t give any direction to my paintings. Any colors I use come from my feelings. Whatever comes, that’s good enough for me. I love the human figure. For me a woman’s body has more energy and flexibility. I can relax and work better with a woman’s figure than a man’s”
Vibrant colors and dynamic composition go hand in hand with expert craftmanship to create works of amazing depth which are at once intriguing and disarming to the viewer.