Ahmad Haraji

Dutch landscapes warmed by Iranian light in layered oil

Ahmad Haraji was born in Boroujerd, an old city in western Iran, in 1969. He started painting when he was 14 years old, but in the beginning he couldnt follow any formal education. Then he met Rahim Navessi, one of Irans most famous realistic painters, by chance. Navessi taught him how to paint and helped him improve his technique. At 18, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Tehran, but he chose graphical design instead of painting.

After graduating, he studied illustration at the same academy and worked as a graphical designer for a magazine. He also got the chance to teach at the academy for three years. But then he got fired because of circumstances, and he started painting again. He worked with several galleries and produced portraits and landscapes on commission.

In Iran, he didnt have the chance to see real paintings by great western artists. So he collected books of painters like Alma-Tadema, Bouguereau, and Werner Weber, and he copied their paintings to learn their techniques. His favorite theme in Iran was the old walls of orchards, with their shifting play of light and shadow. That detailed light later became the main theme of all his paintings.

“I try not to limit myself to a certain theme. I paint what I like at a given moment.”

Since 2000, Haraji has been living in the Netherlands. In 2003, he started studying drawing and painting at the art academy Minerva in Groningen, and he graduated in July 2006. His paintings are built up from multiple layers of oil paint, sometimes applied with a palette knife. From a distance they look very precise, but up close you can see the thick layers of paint.

Q: What kind of landscapes does Haraji paint in the Netherlands?
A: He paints Dutch landscapes, like the beekdalen of the Drentse Aa. But even his most Dutch scenes have an Iranian touch, in his use of color and light. He says his paintings are nostalgic, for people who enjoy the landscapes of their youth.

In 2008, he created a famous double portrait of Erasmus and the Persian poet Rumi for a neighborhood in Rotterdam. The painting was meant to unite Eastern and Western humanism. It was displayed on a facade until it was damaged during a storm in 2024. He also painted a portrait of the former mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb.

He paints with oil and also takes commissions. He doesnt limit himself to one theme, he paints whatever he likes at the moment. His work has been shown in galleries and is collected by private collectors around the world. He lives and works in Groningen now, but his Iranian roots still show in his use of color and light.

Q: Did Haraji always want to be a realistic painter?
A: Yes, he always felt the need for a realistic technique and tried to improve his own. His first teacher, Rahim Navessi, was a realist, and that influenced him deeply. He still works in a realistic style, but with his own personal touch, especially in his treatment of light and shadow.