Totoo Ghoo Chani

Born in Tehran, Iran, and based in Guilin, China, where he has lived and created since 2007, Totoo’s artistic journey is shaped by a dialogue between cultures, disciplines, and ways of seeing the world.

With a background in English Literature and a Master’s degree in the field, his creative approach has been deeply influenced by literature, philosophy, music, and the exploration of human experience.
His multilingual and multicultural background — working across Persian, English, and Mandarin — has allowed him to engage with diverse artistic traditions and perspectives, enriching the way he approaches images, emotions, and visual storytelling.

His artistic foundation was established through early training in classical techniques under experienced masters, followed by decades of continuous exploration across traditional and contemporary forms of expression. His practice brings together charcoal, Chinese ink, watercolour, pastel, digital painting, and fine-art photography, creating a dialogue between heritage and innovation.

Through digital painting, Totoo transforms the tactile qualities of traditional media into contemporary compositions that explore abstraction, balance, light, and emotional resonance.
His photographic work, p...

Totoo’s artistic practice is rooted in both visual training and a broader humanistic education. Alongside his early studies in Persian classical artistic techniques in charcoal and watercolours as well as Persian calligraphy, and his later apprenticeship in Chinese calligraphy and Chinese fine art painting in Guilin, under experienced masters - Persian and Chinese, he pursued academic studies in English Literature, earning a Master’s degree that deepened his lifelong engagement with language, philosophy, culture, and the exploration of human experience.

This literary and philosophical foundation continues to influence his creative approach, informing the narratives, emotions, and contemplative qualities present throughout his work.
His practice brings together traditional artistic disciplines — including charcoal, Chinese ink, watercolours, and pastels — with contemporary digital tools, creating a dialogue between heritage, imagination, and modern expression.

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