Morteza Momayez

Morteza Momayez (1936-2005) was a graphic artist, illustrator, contemporary painter, professor, and founder of graphic arts at Iranian universities, known as the "Father of Iranian Graphic Arts." His most significant works are theater and film posters, book cover designs, and logos.

Morteza Momayez has been interested in painting and drawing since he was a teenager. Before entering the university, he worked as a signboard writer for shops and as an illustrator and cartoon designer for magazines for many years. In 1957, he started studying painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, under the tutelage of Ali Mohammad Heydarian. Until 1344 he was an undergraduate student. During these years, he became acquainted with artists such as Sohrab Sepehri, Jazeh Tabatabai, and Changiz Shahvagh. He later began working with Parviz Kalantari, Sirous Emami, Aydin Aghdashloo, and Mohammad Ehsaei in Mohammad Bahrami's studio. Being introduced by Ahmad Shamloo, he started working as a graphic designer and illustrator in "Ketab-e Hafteh" magazine and later in magazines such as "Ketab-e Mah," "Otaghe-e Sanaye va Ma'aden," "Farhang," "Ettelaat-e Sall," and "Kavosh".

The oldest logo design of Morteza Momayez is the logo of the Iran Tea Organization, which was officially introduced in 1959. His other logo designs include the Iranian National Standards Organization logo, Reza Abbasi Museum, the Iranian Accounting Association, the Saipa Company, Tehran Municipality, and Tehran Fire Department.

After graduating in 1966, Momayez went to France to continue his education and obtained a booth design certificate from the French National School of Decorative Arts. After returning to Iran in 1969, he taught as a professor at the University of Tehran, founded the field of graphics for the first time in 1971, and created a significant change in contemporary Iranian art. In the same year, Momayez together with Aliasghar Masoumi and Farshid Mesghali established "Atelier 42". In the following years, he worked as the art director of "Iran Abad," "Ketab-e-Hafteh," "Kayhan Hafteh," "Farhang," "Kavosh," and "Negin" magazines. His illustrations and designs in some of these magazines are considered as leading works in the field of silk screen printing and lithography in Iran.

Momayez has created many works in various fields of art. Along with his graphic works, he has created some paintings, representing a different and more personal space but close to the atmosphere of his graphic arts. By looking at Momayez's paintings, one can follow the artistic knowledge and poetic perspective that is the basis of his successful illustrations and designs. In the 1970s, he exhibited his paintings in "Blue," "Treasure," and "Breadth" shows. In 1977, Momayez established the first Iranian graphic designers Guild and held the 50 years of Iranian graphics exhibition. The guild was disbanded due to the Islamic Revolution and the following changes in the country, but Momayez tried to preserve it with the help of his colleagues. Momayez would also design the movie posters. His poster designs won the award and medal for the best cinematic posters of the Fajr Film Festival in 1987, 1988, and 2021. In 1990, he won the Crystal Simorgh for the best film poster for "Oh Iran."

Together with Ali Asghar Mohtaj, Momayez launched the first graphic designers' biennial in 1987. These attempts were the first steps in establishing the Alliance Graphic International (AGI), finally registered in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in 1998. Introduced by him, designers such as Ghobad Shiva, Ebrahim Haghighi, Reza Abedini, and Saeed Moshki became members of this alliance.

In 1998 Momayez was elected as the chairman of the Iranian Graphic Designers Society (IGDS), and in 1999, as the chairman of the Iranian Graphic Design Biennial. This artist passed away in Tehran in 2005 due to an illness. In 2021, on his16th anniversary, the Iranian Artist Forum hosted a solo exhibition of the artist's works.