Ruyin Pakbaz, is an Iranian art historian, critic and modernist painter who has played an important role in turning art history, into an academic discipline in Iran.
According to Artmag.ir, Ruyin Pakbaz, studied painting at Faculty of Fine Arts of Tehran University between 1962 and 1969 and completed a master’s course in aesthetics at Sorbonne University in Paris. He has taught at Faculty of Fine Arts of Tehran University, between 1970 and 1987, Al-Zahra University and Islamic Azad University, between 1991 and 1997, as well as teaching in private classes since 1990.
Master Ruyin Pakbaz, in distant years, exhibited his paintings in several group and solo exhibitions, among which he participated in Third Tehran Biennale in 1962, Momayez Studio, Fourth Tehran Biennale in 1966, Borges Gallery and etc. pointed out.
Ghandriz Hall, which was established in 1964, through efforts of Mohammad Reza Jodat and Pakbaz, became a cultural center and for thirteen years, in fields of displaying works of painting, graphics, photography, and sculpture, introducing and criticizing works of young artists, translating And printing art and architecture books, and publishing art journals was a useful and effective activity.
Ruyin Pakbaz started a continuous activity in art historiography, critical writing, authoring and translation of art texts since establishment of Ghandriz Hall. He and his companions in Ghandriz Hall tried to organize a collective work. Its purpose was to recognize starting point for a movement towards foundation of national art. Each word of this short sentence can enlighten us today about mentality and motivations of this group and someone like Pakbaz.
But the activity of Ruyin Pakbaz was not exclusive to Iran Hall. He wrote and translated many books after the systematic planning of art history course for universities. Many of these books have been reprinted many times; including: Contemporary Iranian painting and sculpture, in Latin, (1978); Understanding traditional and modern graphic art (1983); In search of a new language (1990); Encyclopedia of Art (1999); Iranian painting: from long ago to today (2000); The brilliant peak of Iranian art, translation (2000). Guide to materials and styles: drawing and painting (2015); The art of modernism, translation and editing (2008); New and three-volume edition of Encyclopaedia of Art (2014).
Since beginning of 1970s, Professor Ruyin Pakbaz has been continuously teaching art history, authoring and translating fundamental books, researching and historiography on Iranian art. His authored books, including Encyclopaedia of Iranian Art and Painting, are among textbooks and reference books of the field of art; Also, his works have been among sources of many theses, articles and writings that have been written in the field of art, especially painting, in last three decades in Iran. Young Iranian artists and researchers have indirectly learned a lot from him and have a special interest in him.
In paintings of this artist, attention to visual relationships of elements and forms can be seen with meticulous and mathematical accuracy. In this way, he has also used geometric forms.
Aydin Aghdashloo says about Ruyin Pakbaz: He is one of best Iranian artists who has focused on research and authoring books in visual field.
About Encyclopedia of Art
The Encyclopaedia of Art is title of a book written by Ruyin Pakbaz and published in Iran by Farhang Mazares Publishing House.
Years of teaching experience made him think about necessity of preparing a comprehensive encyclopedia in the field of art from very beginning of his artistic and educational activities. Because he was facing many problems such as lack of common definitions in many art topics. The result of these efforts is compilation of encyclopedia of art. This book and some of his other works, such as Iranian painting, have been a reference for art students in Iranian universities since long ago (2000) and source of many theses and art articles of art students and professors.
“Appendix 1” under title “History” examines evolution of art in historical periods in form of various articles. “Appendix 2” is dedicated to themes used in art of different societies such as: religious or literary characters, gods, events, symbols. “Appendix 3” provides other information in this field with more than 1570 foreign words and their Persian equivalents. A considerable part of contents of this encyclopedia is dedicated to Iran and especially contemporary art of Iran.
The book of Iranian painting, written by Ruyin Pakbaz, is most comprehensive research in the field of Iranian painting from long ago to today. In this work, Master Pakbaz, by categorizing history of painting in Iran into four periods (ancient, middle, modern and contemporary), instead of adopting a socio-political approach, emphasizes stylistic features and identity of works in each period.
The book of terms of art and artists (2010) is also one of most accurate and authentic bilingual art cultures in Persian language and one of the other famous works of Ruyin Pakbaz.
Awards
Award of 35th Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for encyclopedia of art, published in 2016, by Farhang Masazer Publications.
Part of works of Ruyin Pakbaz
– From sunny to sunny: selected works of Mansour Ghandriz (1935 – 1965). By Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Nazar Publishing and Research Cultural Institute
– Artistic and social review of Impressionism. Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Hall of Iran (Ghandriz)
– To Garden of Companions: Hossein Kazemi, Sohrab Sepehri, Houshang Pezeshknia. To efforts of Royan Pakbaz, Jacob Emdadian. Tehran: Nazar Publication
– Pioneers of modern Iranian art: Parviz Tanavoli. By efforts of Ruyin Pakbaz, Jacob Emdadian, with cooperation of Mahnoush Naderi. Tehran: Museum of Contemporary Arts and Visual Arts Development Institute
– The pioneers of Iranian modern art: Hossein Zenderoudi. By efforts of Ruyin Pakbaz Pakbaz, Jacob Emdadian, in collaboration with Tooka Maleki. Tehran: Mahriz Publication
– The pioneers of modern Iranian art: Mohsen Vaziri Moghadam. By efforts of Ruyin Pakbaz, Jacob Emdadian, in collaboration with Tooka Maleki. Tehran: Museum of Contemporary Arts and Visual Arts Development Institute
– Pioneers of modern Iranian art: Masoud Arabshahi. With efforts of Ruyin Pakbaz, Jacob Emdadian, with cooperation of Zahra Zahtab. Tehran: Mahriz Publication
– The pioneers of Iran’s modern art: Mansooreh Hosseini. With efforts of Ruyin Pakbaz, Jacob Emdadian, with cooperation of Salomeh Gholami. Tehran: Museum of Contemporary Arts and Visual Arts Development Institute
– History of world art, [textbooks] second year of high school. Ruyin Pakbaz, Masoud Davoudi. Tehran: Ministry of Education
– The history of Iran’s library. Ruyin Pakbaz and others. Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Arts
– Ghandriz Hall: an experience in social presentation of art. Ruyin Pakbaz and Hassan Mourizinejad. Tehran: Herfeh-Honarmand
– Encyclopedia of Art. Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Farhang Moaser Publishers
– In search of a new language: an analysis of evolution of art of painting in new era. Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Look
– Dictionary of artistic terms and artists’ declarations. Ruyin Pakbaz, in collaboration with Tooka Maleki. Tehran: Farhang Moaser Publishers
– Basics of visual arts, [textbook]. Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Bina Publication
– Sculpture, [textbooks] second year of high school. Ruyin Pakbaz, Saeed Shahlapour. Tehran: Ministry of Education
– Materials and techniques: drawing and painting. Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Farhang Moaser Publishers
– Iranian painting from ancient times to today. Ruyin Pakbaz. Tehran: Zarin and Simin
Pakbaz, Ruyin (1974). Contemporary Iranian painting and sculpture. Tehran: High council of culture and Art, center for Research and Cultural co -ordination. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
Issa, Rose; Pakbaz, Ruyin; Shayegan, Daryush (2001). Iranian Contemporary Art. London: Booth-Clibborn Editions. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
Translation
– Synchronization of painting with literature in Iran: from 6th to 11th century AH. M. Moghadam Ashrafi. (Translator: Ruyin Pakbaz). Tehran: Negah Publication
– Art of modernism. Sandro Bukola. (Translators: Ruyin Pakbaz, Ahmadreza Tagha, Helia Darabi, Farrokh Foladvand, Kambiz Mousavi, Firouzeh Mohajer). Tehran: Farhang Moaser Publishers
– From impressionism to abstract art. Jean Le Marie, Norbert Linton and others. (Translators: Ruyin Pakbaz, Ismail Nuri Alaa, Mehdi Partovi, Habib Khansaripour, Abolqasem Abolqasminejad, Fereshteh Sholehvar). Tehran: Hall of Iran (Ghandriz)
– The brilliant peaks of Iranian art. Richard Ettinghausen and Ehsan Yarshater. (Translators: Hormoz Abdullahi and Ruyin Pakbaz). Tehran: Agah Publication
– French painting from 1945 onwards. Marcel Brion. (Translators: Ruyin Pakbaz and Habib Khansaripour). Tehran: Hall of Iran (Ghandriz)
