Mojé Assefjah
The Iranian artist Mojé Assefjah develops a distinctive visual language of extraordinary grace in her paintings. Partially wide, curved bands of color open up the pictorial space in all directions. The brushstrokes, with their specific colors and fine structure, wind dynamically across the image support, condensing and overlapping each other and directing the viewer's gaze into deeper levels. The use of the almost forgotten egg tempera technique and ink in many thin glazes enables the artist to create color effects that are reminiscent of Italian fresco painting of the early Renaissance. The darker, mostly color-intensive loops in the foreground of the picture contrast with the chalky tonality of the background. Sometimes a cutout leaves a piece of canvas unpainted, creating a beam of light in the dark. Although the artist has dedicated herself to non-representational painting, the pictures convey an idea of spatiality and evoke associations with landscapes, plant forms and fabric draperies. The flexibility of the movements and brush strokes is reminiscent of Persian calligraphy. Lightness and structural density as well as the alternation of transparency and opacity, light and darkness, proximity and distance characterize Assefjah's visual worlds, which contain a mysterious depth and atmospheric quality.
Mojé Assefjah was born in Tehran in 1970 and her family moved to Germany in 1986. She lives and works in Munich. From 1992-98 she studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, and from 1997 as a master student of Prof. Jerry Zeniuk. In 1999 she received the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's Fine Arts Prize and the DAAD annual scholarship for a stay in Rome. In 2013 she was in New York as part of the Residency Program at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP). Since 1999, her work has been regularly shown in solo and group exhibitions in Europe and the Middle East. Her works are in numerous public and private collections in Germany, Switzerland and China (including Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus/Munich; Pinakothek der Moderne, Bavarian State Painting Collection/Munich; Graphic Collection/Munich; Guangdong Art Museum/Guangzhou, China).
Born 1970 in Tehran, Iran. Lives and works in Munich.
| 1986 | Her family emigrated to Germany |
| 1990 | University-entrance diploma, guest residency at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungria, Seville, Spain |
| 1991-92 | Studied Japanese and Spanish language at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich |
1992-98 | Studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich |
| 1999 | Diploma of painting and graphics |
Awards and Grants
| 2013 | Residency program at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York |
| 2010 | Ecke Art Award, Augsburg |
2006-07 | Grant of the HWP, project grant: Der andere Blick |
2000 | Grant of the GOLART-STIFTUNG: Mural painting, at the Kunstverein Friedberg in Wetterau-Museum, Friedberg, Germany on the occasion of the exhibition from 29.10. to 19.11.2000 |
| 1999-2000 | Annual scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for a residency in Rome |
1999 | Advancement award of Fine Art, 14. Advancement Award for Fine Arts of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research |
| 1995 | Erasmus grant at the Faculty de Bellas Artes, Madrid |
Bibliography
| 2015 | Playing tricks on the mind with egg tempera, The Daily Star (Lebanon), March 2015 |
| 2014 | Mojé Assefjah presenta en la galeria +R sus sensuales aperturas al paisaje, Juan Bufill, La Vanguardia, Barcelona, April 2014 |
| 2013 | Inspirationen im Irdischen ..., Simon Baur, Basler Zeitung, November 2013 |
| 2012 | Die Malerei zieht Schleifen, Günter Ott, Augsburger Allgemeine, September 2012 |
| 2011 | bodily functions, Uta M. Reindl, Kunstverein Koelnberg, Kunstforum International Bd. 209, 2011 |
| 2010 | Art Dubai Edition 2010, Canvas Magazine |
| 2009 | L’Iran sans Frontières, Ausstellungskatalog, Almine Rech Gallery, Paris, June 2009 |
| 2008 | Imagination and Metaphor, Ausstellungskatalog, Einleitung von Dr. Ingeborg Wiegand-Uhl, Munich |
| 2007 | Painting as Reality or Of the Deceptive - Lightness of Being, Ausstellungskatalog, Recent work, Einleitung von Prof. Dr.Anne-Marie Bonnet |
| 2006 | Über das Denken aus Bildern in Bildern, Christian Gögger, eAusstellungskatalog, Galerie aktueller Kunst im Osram-Haus, Munich |
| 2005 | Mojé Assefjah, Marie Luise Knott, Le MONDE diplomatique (Nr. 7740), August 2005 |
| 2004 | Tableau, Petra Renke, Ausstellungskatalog BBK Munich |
| 2003 | Ein kleines Stück Renaissance, Heidrun Wirth, Bonner Rundschau 2003 |
| 2002 | Blicke in die Unendlichkeit, Christina zu Mecklenburg, Bonner General-Anzeiger, Bonn, July 2002 |
| 2001 | was einem bleibt, Siegrid Feeser, Kunstforum international, Band 154, April/May 2001 |
| 2000 | Gebündelte Farbenergie, eAusstellungskatalog, Galerie Heinz Herzer, Munich, Einleitung von Prof. Dr. Anne-Marie Bonnet |
| 1999 | Viva la pittura, Armin Mühsam, Applaus, München, October 1999 |
Public Purchases
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
Gabriele Münter- und Johannes Eichner-Stiftung, Munich
Pinakothek der Moderne, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung, Munich
Graphische Sammlung, Munich
Artothek, Munich
Sammlung Osram, Munich
Max-Planck-Institut, Munich
Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
Hamburg Mannheimer, Hamburg
Sammlung BHW Holding AG, Hameln
Münchener Rückversicherung
Verband der Sparda-Banken, Frankfurt
HypoVereinsbank
Colonia Nordstern Kunstversicherung
HUK-Coburg
Siemens AG
Allianz Versicherungen
D.A.S. Versicherungen
LHI Leasing GmbH, Munich
DekaBank-Kunstsammlung, Frankfurt a. Main
Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank, Düsseldorf und Munich
Coleccion olorVISUAL, Barcelona
Solo exhibitions
| 2022 | I Can Still Feel The Breeze, Gallery Joeun, Seoul, Korea |
| 2021 | Mojé Assefjah - Remembered landscapes, Etemad Gallery, Tehran, Iran |
| 2020 | You Will Rise Up Again, Galerie Tanit, Munich |
| 2019 | Mojé Assefjah, Susanne Thiemann - Winding Roots, Galerie Nanna Preußners, Hamburg |
| 2018 | Mojé Assefjah. Anne Sterzbach, Neue Galerie Dachau |
| 2016 | Darmian, Raum 1, Galerie Tanit, Munich |
| 2015 | On the other side of the grape gardens, Galerie Tanit, Beyrouth, Lebanon So close, yet so far, Galerie Nanna Preußners, Hamburg Nostalgia, Blau ist die Farbe deines Flügels, Galerie Tanit, Munich |
| 2014 | I cover the waterfront, Galeria +R, Barcelona |
| 2013 | Beyond the river, Galerie Graf & Schelble, Basel |
| 2012 | Il giardino e la duna, Ecke Galerie, Augsburg Der Abend, ein Nichts ..., Schaltwerk Kunst Galerie Nanna Preußners, Hamburg |
| 2011 | A vista d'occhio, Galerie Tanit, Munich |
| 2010 | Water for my flower, wind for my tree, Espace Kettaneh Kunigk, Beyrouth, Lebanon Water for my flower, wind for my tree II, Galerie Graf und Schelble, Basel, Switzerland |
| 2008 | Shabtab, Galerie Tanit, Munich |
| 2007 | Galerie Graf und Schelble, Basel |
| 2006 | Der andere Blick, Galerie aktueller Kunst im Osram-Haus, Munich (cat.) |
| 2005 | Galerie Koos und Heufelder, Munich Galerie S65, Cologne |
| 2004 | Die sieben Gärten, Art Basel, Switzerland (soloshow) |
| 2003 | Galerie Benninger, Cologne |
| 2002 | Zeitgenössische Kunst, Michael Schneider, Bonn Galerie Martin Geier, Algund, Italy Piccolo Palazzo D'Arte, Merano, Italy |
| 2001 | Galerie Meister H.S., Ehrenkirchen |
| 2000 | Galerie Heinz Herzer, Munich (cat.) Galerie Benninger, Cologne Was einem bleibt, Kunstverein Friedberg im Wetterau-Museum, Friedberg/Hesse (cat. image) |
| 1999 | Galerie Benninger, Cologne Galerie Heinz Herzer, Munich |
Group exhibitions
| 2023 | Dual Simplicity, Intent Gallery, Dubai (UAE) |
| 2022 | Dip in the Past, Contemporary art from the Lenbachhaus and KiCo foundation, Lenbachhaus Munich |
| 2021 | Thank you 2021 & Welcome 2022, Galerie Joeun, Seoul, Korea Something Blue, Cromwell Place, London, Galerie Tanit |
| 2019 | Women of Resilience, Tsichritzis Visual Art Foundation, Athens |
| 2017 | Entr'Expo, Galerie Graf und Schelble, Basel |
| 2016 | Morphology of Archive, Museum of Goa (MOG), India Zeiträume, Brigitte Henninger, Munich |
| 2015 | Galerie TOXIC in Luxemburg zur Art Week |
| 2013 | Best of, Künstler der Galerie, Galerie Nanna Preußners, Hamburg |
| 2012 | Jahresgaben 2012, Kunstverein Munich Art Dubai, Espace Kettaneh Kunigk, United Arab Emirates Third Floor, Brilluxfabrik, Munich |
| 2011 | Bodily Functions, Kunstverein Kölnberg, Cologne Galerie Graf und Schelble, Basel, Switzerland The Nightingale and the Rose, Rathausgalerie, Kunsthalle München |
| 2010 | Galerie Graf und Schelble, Basel, Switzerand (Accrochage) Zeitgenössische Kunst, Galerie Michael Schneider, Bonn |
| 2009 | L' Iran sans frontières, Galerie Almine Rech, Paris modern09, Strictly Contemporary, Munich Zeitgenössische Kunst, Galerie Michael Schneider, Bonn |
| 2008 | Go between, Galerie Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein, Linz (cat. image) Go between, Centre Cultural la Mercè, Girona, Spain (cat. image) |
| 2007 | Hochebene, Zeitgenössische Kunst, Michael Schneider, Bonn Go between, nove artisti tra visibile e invisibile, Cavallerizza Reale, Turin (cat. image) Accrochage, Residenzpost, Munich Go between, Kunstraum Klosterkirche, Traunstein (cat. image) Happy Hours, Residenzpost, Munich |
| 2006 | Begegnungen 2006, Wehr-Öflingen u.a. (cat. image) Zeitgenössische Positionen, Residenzpost, Munich |
| 2005 | Universal Painting, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, Shanghai, China Munich School?, Kunstverein Aschaffenburg |
| 2004 | Tableau, Galerie der Künstler, Munich Papiere und kleine Formate, Zeitgenössische Kunst, Michael Schneider, Bonn Zeichnungen, Galerie S 65, Cologne Projektraum, Galerij S 65, Aalst, Belgium Munich School?, Kunstverein Aichach Galerie im Schlosspavillon, Ismaning |
| 2003 | Dialoge, Wehr-Öflingen u.a. (cat. image) Projekt Wandmalerei, Hohenstaufenstraße, Munich Landschaften, Kunsthandel Marion Grcic-Ziersch, Munich |
| 2001 | Arbeiten auf Papier, Galerie Heinz Herzer, Munich Malerdebatte, Zeitgenössische Kunst, Michael Schneider, Bonn |
| 2000 | Fließende Zeit - Kunst für Diakonie, Wehr-Öflingen |
| 1999 | Kunststudenten stellen aus, Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn (cat. image) stadt Kunst bonn, Bonner Sammlung von Aegyptiaca, by the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der BRD, Bonn Arcus Raetiae, Bahnhofsgelände Mals, Italy |
| 1997 | Max-Planck-Institut, Munich |
