TEHRAN – The latest artwork by Iranian painter Abdolhamid Ghadirian, titled “In the Path of Light,” has been unveiled.

Using oil on canvas, with dimensions of 190 by 150 cm, the painting narrates the magnificent yet heartbreaking moments of millions of people from all walks of life bidding farewell to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, ILNA reported.

Reflecting on the creation process, Ghadirian said, “I began working on this piece after the martyrdom of the Leader. I spent a long time thinking about what to depict. In art, the subject and the narrative are important, but what shapes the narrative is the medium of its expression. I have been working on the concept of ‘light’ for years, and I even held an exhibition titled ‘The Light Has Come’. I felt that this event was beautifully intertwined with that very concept.”

Regarding his perspective on the character of the Martyr Leader, the painter noted, “What stood out to me about his character was that he always strived for God’s will to be manifested rather than his own personal will, and for the people, in accordance with the verses of the Quran, to align themselves with the divine plan.”

“The magnificent funeral procession held in Iraq was astonishing, and the enemy’s anger is the result of a great luminous event. God has increased the contrast between light and darkness to such an extent that there is no longer any room for shades of gray,” Ghadirian added.

Describing the visual atmosphere of the work, he said, “I tried to make the space of the painting dynamic and alive—a space in which the slogan ‘We Must Rise’ is manifested. I felt that the Martyr Leaders’ body was no longer in the hands of the people. We must learn to coexist with the ‘Unseen’. In eschatological discussions, we are confronted with lights, and this forward movement is driven by the light of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).”

Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred on February 28, along with several members of his immediate family, during the first hours of the nearly forty-day war launched by the United States and the Israeli regime. On July 10, the Martyr Leader was laid to rest at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province.

Born in Tehran, Abdolhamid Ghadirian, 66, completed his studies in painting and got his master's degree at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. He has also received a first-class art certificate - equivalent to a PhD - in the field of costume design from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. 

Ghadirian started his professional activities in the field of painting in 1981 and cinema in 1986. So far, he has designed costumes for dozens of movies and TV series; the costume design of the “Saint Mary” series is one of his works.

His other achievements in the cultural and artistic field include artistic management of the construction of the Museum of Tehranology, writing books and publishing articles, and holding individual and group exhibitions inside and outside the country.

SS/SAB