Erotes Drawing

Alireza Shojaian is an Iranian artist, born 1988, Tehran, Iran, based in Paris, France. As an artist, he is trying to challenge societies and make space for non-heteronormative masculine identities. Reflecting on the queer history of the Middle East, the present context, and his own experiences. Shojain finished his bachelor studies in fine arts, painting at Islamic Azad University, Tehran central branch in 2014 and he persuades a master's degree in the same university between 2014-2016 but he couldn’t obtain his master degree because of the subject of his thesis and final project which was Queer art. Throughout his fine art studies encouraged by his university professor, Shojaian began to explore his queer art practice, pursue queer themes and narratives, and confront something which he had intentionally avoided but now found comfort in. Shojaian’s work was hidden away for the entirety of his studies while the work of his peers hung unashamed in the corridors and galleries of the Iranian capital. Shojaian knew he could not continue his work in Iran, where his first series on queer art remained un-exhibited. With the movement to the US or Europe limited by sanctions, Shojaian looked closer to home for freedom and saw Lebanon as the most enabling opportunity in the region for him to continue developing his work and identity. in 2016 Shojaian moved to Beirut and he built his career with holding two solo exhibitions in 2017 and 2018. In 2019 French embassy in Lebanon, gave Shojaian the opportunity to join an art project in one of the foundations of Académie des beaux-arts and he moved to Paris, France.