Hessam Abrishami (b. 1951, Shiraz, Iran) is one of the most celebrated contemporary Iranian painters working today. His journey began amid the cultural richness of Shiraz, surrounded by history and poetry, before leading him to Italy’s Accademia di Belle Arti di Perugia, where he refined his technical foundation and developed his intuitive approach to form and color.Over four decades, Hessam has created a body of work that captures the essence of movement, emotion, and human connection. His compositions pulse with rhythm: dancers in motion, lovers intertwined, and figures suspended in celebration or reflection. His ability to translate energy into form has earned him international recognition, with thousands of collectors around the world drawn to his unmistakable blend of passion and poise.At Drew Marc Gallery, two distinct sides of Hessam’s artistry are brought into conversation. His abstract series strips emotion down to color and gesture, broad sweeps of paint and layered textures that feel almost musical in their composition. These works speak in pure emotion, revealing his intuitive hand and deep trust in movement as language.In contrast, his representational impressionistic series brings figures, faces, and human stories into view. These paintings feel cinematic yet intimate, moments of affection, joy, and dance rendered in expressive form. Together, the two series capture both the chaos and calm of human experience: abstraction as heartbeat, representation as memory.Through each canvas, Hessam continues to explore the beauty of life in all its forms: the connection between people, the light between movement, and the enduring optimism that art can bring into the world. Artist StatementMy art is about feeling, the kind that begins quietly and grows through color, shape, and motion. Whether I paint in abstraction or in form, I follow the same rhythm. I want my work to feel alive, to move, to celebrate. The abstract series is pure emotion. It begins with intuition, a conversation between energy and color. There is no sketch, no plan, only a response. Every mark carries part of me, and the result is a kind of visual music. The impressionistic series holds the stories. These are the moments we recognize: dancers, lovers, and the gestures that connect us. I use soft edges and layered color to create a sense of movement within stillness. Each figure becomes part of a larger symphony of emotion.No matter the series, my goal is the same: to create joy. I want the viewer to feel what I feel while painting, a reminder that beauty, optimism, and connection still matter.