Iran Darroudi

Iran Darroudi ( born September 2, 1936 in Mashhad) is a contemporary Iranian artist, living between Tehran and Paris. Her art consists of surreal paintings dealing with Iranian themed imagery and strong lighting. 
Biography.
Early life.
Born in Mashhad, Iran to a family consisting of traders from Khorasan on her father's side and on her mother's side the family was Caucasian merchants who had settled in Mashhad. Her family moved to Hamburg, Germany for her father's business in 1937 and by the early 1940s they were forced to leave because of the beginnings of World War II. By 1945 her family returned to Mashhad.
Darroudi studied at Ecole Superier des Beaux-Arts in Paris, history of art at the École du Louvre in Paris, stained glass at the Royal Academy of Brussels, and television direction and production at the RCA Institute in New York City.
Career.
Iran Darroudi’s paintings are defined as Surrealist works. She is able to combine the delicacy and romantic spirit of Persian paintings with the elements of Surrealism. 
Darroudi's first solo exhibition was held in Miami, Florida in 1958 at the invitation of the Florida State Art Center.
She wrote articles on the history of art and art criticism for the conservative Iranian newspaper, Kayhan.
In 1968, she made 55 minute long documentary about the 1968 Venice Biennial. She was appointed as an honorary professor at the Industrial University of Tehran, teaching art history. In 1969 the ITT Corporation commissioned her to paint "Iranian Oil". She held successful exhibitions in Paris and at the Atrium Artist Gallery, Geneva, and a month later at Galarie 21, Zurich.
In 1976 she exhibited at the Mexican Museum of Art, where Spanish painter Antonio Rodríguez Luna praised her as one of the world's four greatest painters.
In 1978 she moved to France.
In 2009 a documentary "Iran Darroudi: The Painter of Ethereal Moments "produced by Bahman Maghsoudlou, focused on the life and art of Darroundi.
Personal life.
In 1966 in New York City, she met and married Parviz Moghaddasi, who was studying television direction. The couple worked at the newly established Iranian television organization as producer and director for six years.
Her husband Parviz Moqaddasi died in 1985, her first art after his death was a piece titled, "Assumption of Parviz".