TEHRAN (MNA) -- The Momayyez Foundation, which is currently being set up in Tehran, plans to establish a Morteza Momayyez museum, publish his works, dedicate an award in his name, support academic research works, and hold graphic art competitions, a member of the board of trustees of the foundation said on Saturday.

“Momayyez was primarily a teacher and he could train skilled artists. In fact, he introduced graphic art to Iranians,” Shapur Manuchehri added.

He noted that although there were other people who contributed to the development of the art in Iran, Momayyez managed to promote graphic art in Iran independently of painting and other visual arts and hence was recognized as one of the founders of Iranian graphic art.

He stated that Momayyaez made no claims to be the father of Iranian graphic art, saying, “However, he made many people fascinated with the art through his brilliant illustrations, which can still be seen on the covers of many books and journals in the country. “In line with the will of the artist, Afsaneh Momayyez, Aidin Aghdashlu, Abbas Kiarostami, Ebrahim Haqiqi, Mostafa Asadollahi, Amrollah Farhadi, and I will be the members of the board of trustees of the foundation.”

Momayyez knew Iranian history and culture very well, was never preoccupied with money, and believed that he was duty bound to help younger artists and art enthusiasts in general, he said.

In January and February 2004, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art held a major Momayyez retrospective, displaying his posters, paintings, photographs, installations as well as the book and magazine covers and logos designed by the artist. The retrospective was a part of an exhibition entitled “Graphic Designers from Three Continents”. A bust of Momayyez has also been installed at the museum.

He was honored at IRIB’s Third Gathering of Eternal Figures in 2003. Last December, he was also honored by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance during a ceremony held at the Hafezieh Hall of the Sadabad Cultural Complex.

Momayyez died of prostate cancer in Tehran on November 26, 2005. He was regarded as the father of graphic design in Iran and was the chairman of the board of directors of the Iranian Graphic Designers Society from 1988 to 2004.