#ypa

In Iran the Wait is Over

Posted on by Mahsa Shamsaei
Reading time 2 minutes

21 year old Sepehr Mesri lives in Tabriz and is a mean sketcher. The pencil and Sepehr are besties. He draws the faces of his friends, the people he admires and the folk he finds inspiring. By adding bursts of color, Sepehr energizes his subjects making complete but very current works of portraiture. His subjects are from all over Iran and are mostly young – very young, and thanks to Facebook I have Internet-stalked them all. Privacy is so yesterday!

Sepehr’s friends are photographers, actors, designers, musicians, band members, all-round coolness aficionados – living and working in different cities in Iran.

Portraiture has always been a mirror reflecting the faces that define a specific moment in time. Kings, queens, noblemen, peasants, conquerors. In the same way, Sepehr shows us the 2015 face of Iran.

Sepehr’s portraits have something important in common, they all have a determined “my way or the highway” look on their faces. These portraits tell us that this new generation (and remember, more than 60% of Iran’s population is under the age of 30) are not interested in waiting. They are here, they are true, and they are defining the future.

I am now 33 years old and for me the Iran of the past decade has been defined by “waiting” – waiting for a better president – waiting for a change in regulations – waiting for the lifting of sanctions. Looking at Sepehr’s works makes me feel that by living a new truth, their own truth, the new generation has unwittingly made the waiting game go away.

Yet this new generation is not the result of a rejection of the past or Iranian identity. Its protagonists seem simply to have a healthy attitude towards being Iranian. They play traditional instruments (Sepehr plays many Persian string instruments including Setar), they eat traditional food (regional produce are so “in” right now) and they understand the value of heritage. For whatever reason, they represent a generation that doesn’t carry the hangups of the past and are free simply to embrace the future.

Sepehr Mesri, his friends and his generation are surely the ones to watch. 

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100 thoughts on “In Iran the Wait is Over”

  4. I’ve not seen such pieces of fine hand art since a long long time. I wish you’ll continue it and get your name in world arena.
    I’ll be damnly waiting for more from you.

    May IRAN find the old heritage for its people!
    Keep doing better!

    Liked by 7 people

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  6. This piece made me think of the Toni Morrison quote from “Jazz”
    “Everything is now. It’s like war. Everyone is handsome, shining just thinking about other people’s blood. As though the red wash flying from veins not theirs is facial makeup patented for its glow. Inspiriting. Glamorous. “

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  7. These are good portraits but the decapitated heads are weird… ultimately. Maybe try doing full body portraits and dealing with the entire composition. You really need to care about and need necks and shoulders at least… seriously. It’ll help the work.

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  9. I come from a country similar to Iran in some ways (don’t want to expose my identity though, which is why I’m not naming my country), and the younger generation is similar to the one shown here. Although they appreciate their country and culture, they are also much more open-minded and reject traditions and beliefs that are irrelevant (e.g. that men are more valuable than women). This post reminded me of how similar people really are, despite being different.

    Also, great sketches. He’ll be going places if he continues.

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  14. Incredibly talented artist. I would like to see some of these sketches put onto a wall. My favorite are girl with green hair and “hipster” with colored sunglasses. The flow in both these images is exceptional.

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  15. Sepehr’s sketches are amazingly adorable.. Each sketch says something and yes it’s definitely “my way or the highway” kind.. And yeah through these sketches you will definitely be heard..Don’t loose that confidence and go on sketching.. 🙂

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  18. Pingback: In Iran the Wait is Over | The Emancipated Duckling

  26. I read the whole thing and it was absolutely inspiring. Most people around the world are veiled underneath their countries history and control. To take steps towards change does not only require activism but it also requires bravery and most of all great intention. I have high hopes for Iran and hopefully a new day arises soon. x)

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  34. Pingback: In Iran the Wait is Over | Garry's Stuff

  44. Great and thanks for sharing the story, mate. I think he will like it. Fun. For me this story and the things I do and go trough give me the idea that the world is changing.
    Again. More open. More free. With a fresh wind of thoughts and ideas. Ideas of these times. It’s like we can re-open our eyes. Open it on what is really happening. And by that stopping on the bullsh*t. Why are we all putting effort in for example destroying and concurring eachother. Or for example why do we put our main effort in being the best, regarding to someone else. There are examples where it does work really well. For example this sketcher. Maybe it inspires him to be the best in sketching and drawing in it’s style. Well then, look what he moves just only already by this blog. Yea I’ve learned if you want to be the best in something it better can be in helping other people, supporting, or rebuilding people. What more do we want then inspiration, love, happiness or for example a onflowing line in our lives. Image that. And then that for all mankind. I think we have something fighting for.

    Peace,
    D.

    ( Rhyming Dutchman Carpe Pioneer ).
    https://www.facebook.com/393082854091167

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  50. Very beautiful and I wish more people could appreciate the humanity of people and understand that people are people and especially young people are changing the world. To stop seeing each other with stereotypes. Brilliant work

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