Amanda Vasquez

Real Realism

Iman Maleki is an Iranian realist painter. He was born in Tehran. Maleki showed his
interest in painting at a young age. He was fortunate to learn painting techniques from Morteza
Katouzian, a well known painter from Iran. Maleki, as stated earlier is a realist painter, keeping
that in mind I would like to discuss his style of painting, a piece he created that I loved, and one
that I disliked.
To being let me say that as a beginning painter I admire the beauty of Malekis work. I
am jealous of his ability to capture reality. He is a great definition of what realism art is. One of
my favorite works created by Iman Maleki is A Girl by the Window. It is a large painting
created with oil on canvas. The painting is of a twenty something woman standing next to a
window. What I love about this painting is the softness of her skin, hands, and hair. Maleki has
made his brush strokes look so silky and gentle that is it almost as though as you can touch the
girls face and feel the softness of her skin. The colors used to capture her skin tones are amazing.
Not only does the painting have accuracy in the color, but also in the highlights and shadows that
are being cast from the window.
When I look at this painting it is as though Im looking at a photograph. The depth of
field that Maleki creates by making the background look blurred, and less in focus is what really
makes the viewer feel like the painting is a photograph. His ability to capture the draping of the
girls fabric is stunning. Maleki uses shadows to really show the folding created by the creamy
white fabric. What I almost didnt notice about this painting is the detail of the bracelet the girl is
wearing, I find this painting to be one of those works one could look at over and over, and find
something new. I really love this painting, it has me in awe, as a viewer you can really admire
the time and effort put into creating this piece.

Amanda Vasquez
Real Realism
With some artists it is really difficult for me to find fault in their work, in the case of
Iman Maleki that is the problem Im being faced with. However for the sake of comparison a
work of his that did not quite make the mark is A Custodians House. The work is produced by
using oil on paper. The image captures the view of the outside of the custodians house. There
is almost a dingy, dirty feeling that is released when looking at this work. The colors are dull,
and range from a dark burnt umber to a creamy mustard yellow. It is my interpretation that
perhaps that is the idea Maleki wanted to get across. The thoughts of nasty, dingy, and dirty
really pop when the viewer notices that the concrete has brown stains, shoes that have been
tossed out in front of the blond white door, and a used broom is leaning on the side of the home
owners wall. What I dislike about the painting is not necessarily the theme or idea behind the
work but it is the work itself. I am not a fan of the colors that are used. I dislike the dull colors. I
am also not a fan of the media used for this work. I feel that the painting would have gone further
had it been created on canvas rather than paper. Canvas, to me, gives paintings texture, which is
something that is lacking in this piece. Over all I feel that Iman Maleki is a talented well rounded
artist.
Iman Maleki is a realist artist to keep an eye on. His ability to capture in paint what
photographers capture on film is astounding. From capturing the gentleness of a womans skin to
creating an atmosphere that is dirty, dingy, and gross; this painters work is a perfect definition
of realism art.

Amanda Vasquez
Real Realism

Iman Maleki, Girl by the Window, oil on canvas

Amanda Vasquez
Real Realism

Iman Maleki, A Custodians House, oil on paper

Amanda Vasquez
Real Realism
Reference(s)

Maleki, Iman. "Welcome To Iman Maleki Web Site." Welcome To

Iman Maleki Web Site. N.p., Nov. 2007. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"Maher Art Gallery." Maher Art Gallery. Trans. Google+. Google+, Jan. 2010.
Web. 03 Dec. 2013.