Artist without borders: Ali Golbaz brings nomad to the page with his ethereal watercolors

An Iranian fine artist, Golbaz holds a masters of fine art in painting and is a member of the Society of Iranian Painters. His work has a dream- like quality that brings together nature and architecture, color and light in a way that perfectly captures the essence of NoMad’s beautiful parks and historic buildings.

Here, he shares insights about his inspiration and style:

NM: When did you first become interested in being an artist?

AG: My interest in art and painting began when I was a kid. My dad also encouraged me to pursue it because he is a calligrapher and he paints sometimes. Practice and classes over time led me to an academic education in art and ultimately, a master’s degree in fine art. It’s been about 15 years since I’ve been painting and teaching professional watercolor art.

NM: How does your Iranian heritage influence your watercolor paintings, and how do you incorporate traditional elements into your work?

AG: For me the architecture of old buildings and Iran’s bazaars, plus the loveliness of nature, is very soothing. These subjects are usually visible in my work and an inspirational source for many of my paintings.

NM: What are some of the unique challenges you face as a watercolor artist living in Iran?

AG: Usually choosing art as a job and profession comes with its own unique hardships. You must, of course, love it and be interested in growing as an artist to continue and achieve your goal.

NM: Can you describe your artistic process and the specific techniques you use in your watercolor paintings?

AG: I mostly take pictures of and paint old Iranian buildings, cultural history, and nature. Sometimes my objective is to express it through the frame of modern storytelling or narration. My painting technique is watercolor in the form of realism, but after years of reading and practicing, I also found my way to expressionism. I’m interested, too, in abstract in the familiar form, and I’ve been working on that on big canvases with acrylic paint for about five years. These two techniques — watercolor and acrylic — might seem very different, but in the sense of inspiration both come from the same source and are expressed in similar ways.

NM: Can you describe your experience creating work for NOMAD Magazine?

AG: Working with the NOMAD Magazine team has been really interesting and challenging for me. In the sense of recommended artistic models, it’s different and new for me; from the architecture to the form to the view of the city
or the special places, and since they have a representational form, I try to paint them in the technique of realism and exactly like the picture.

NM: What are your future aspirations as an artist? Are there any particular projects or collaborations you are excited about that you would like to share with our readers?

AG: Being seen as an artist is so helpful and thanks to social media the problem of sharing my work has been solved. Artists can find their audience and can also have contact with other artists in the world. I’m interested in having exhibitions in art galleries around the world and getting better known as an artist. I’m also working on my second project in abstract paintings in bigger forms on fabric with the technique of acrylic or mixed media for my next exhibition later this year.