Born: 1988 Rasht, Iran
Year of Migration to the UK: 2017
Other name/s: Mohammad Barangi Fashtami
Biography
Artist Mohammad Barrangi was born in Rasht, Iran in 1988, with a congenital limb difference (the inability to use his left arm) and has pursued illustration and drawing since the age of 13. At the Tonekabon branch of the Islamic Azad University he first studied art and then book illustration, earning a BA in Graphic Design. In 2017, he immigrated to the UK to further pursue his career in art, initially living in temporary accommodation in Wakefield, Yorkshire. It was during this period that he became familiar with the local multi-purpose art space, The Art House, where he was also accepted into their Studio of Sanctuary residency initiative. Two years later, he enrolled at the Royal Drawing School in London where he earned an MA in 2021. His disability has necessitated employing unique approaches to creating artwork and, as a result, he blends conventional techniques, such as sketching and calligraphy, with digital editing and 3D printing to produce his compositions. This process is followed by applying his imagery onto various pictoral surfaces with his feet.
Barrangi’s artistic practice explores the themes of his Iranian heritage, migration, disability, memory, journeys and social upheavals. His oeuvre features motifs of empowered female characters drawn from historical figures, friends and family, alongside depictions of individuals with missing limbs, symbolising both resilience and fragility. Motifs within his work also includes animals and birds and mythical creatures, evoking notions of migration, freedom, and companionship. Taking inspiration from Persian calligraphy, storytelling, and humour, Barrangi’s works serve as visual narratives, often carrying allegorical significance. Mixing traditional Persian illustration techniques and contemporary collage methods, Barrangi crafts dreamlike scenarios where bodies blend human and animal features, reflecting a surreal beauty. Employing various mediums and techniques enables Barrangi to demonstrate his versatile approach to making art. Combining printmaking methods with laser printing and solvent transfer onto wooden surfaces allows for the creation of intricate murals that merge traditional Persian motifs with contemporary street art aesthetics. Barrangi also works in sculpture, often featuring the same characters from his prints. Through his art, Barrangi takes the viewer on a journey through his homeland, offering glimpses into Iranian culture and inviting contemplation of themes of identity, displacement, and human resilience.
Barrangi has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, regularly addressing the experience of migration. In 2018, soon after his arrival, Barrangi presented Who Are We, a commission and workshop at Tate Modern, London and the following year he participated in Looking East at the British Museum. In 2022, he collaborated with Andrew Pierre Hart on Diaspora Pavilion 2: London; as part of the ongoing Diaspora Pavilion project, initiated at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, and which continued to explore the theme of diaspora. Hart’s installation An Ode to Brixton, utilised multimedia elements to engage with Brixton’s Afro-Caribbean community, while Barrangi’s large mural series, The Mystical Creatures of Eden mixed Persian calligraphy with imagery from the natural world and personal mythologies. Both artists addressed diaspora by melding cultural narratives and personal experiences. That same year Barrangi was also part of a group exhibition Facing a New Reality in Israel’s Museum of the Seam, sometimes considered controversial because of its bold political commentary.
Barrangi’s 2024 major solo exhibition, One Night, One Dream, Life in the Lighthouse which opened at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery at the University of Leeds, continued with the themes of migration, centring on the story of a young Iranian girl’s journey to the English coast, presented through printmaking, installations, and sound. The inspiration for this work stemmed from his time spent in the University’s Special Collections, where he explored calligraphy, illustrations, fabrics, and manuscripts. As a result, he interwove personal memories of migration and disability with Persian mythology, European literature, and Biblical themes. The central image of the exhibition was a lighthouse, honouring John Smeaton, a pioneering British engineer from Leeds. The aim of the exhibition was to invite the audience to explore the lives of migrants beyond the obvious headlines and to foster greater cross-cultural communication. To this end, he stated: ‘With the government’s Rwanda plan and the Channel crossings in the news, it’s a very good time to talk about these things,' (Barrangi quoted in Brown, 2024).
Barrangi has received international recognition through various awards and prizes. He won the First Prize at the Muestra del IV Premi International in Tragaluz, Colombia in 2017 and. was a Finalist in the Bridgeman Studio Award in the United Kingdom. In 2019, Barrangi was awarded Third Prize in Illustration at the Sharjah Children’s Book Awards and First Prize in Illustration at the COW International Design Festival in Ukraine. Barrangi is also an athlete and has represented Iran in the Paralympics in the 100 metres and 200 metres sprint. Mohammad Barrangi lives and work in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. His works are housed in several UK public collections, including the British Museum and the Government Art Collection.
Public collections
Related organisations
- Royal Drawing School (student )
- The Art House (artist-in-residence )
Related web links
- Art of Printmaking 3: Mohammad Barrangi and Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh, Edinburgh Printmakers
- CV
- Diaspora Pavilion 2
- Interview with Toi Art Gallery
- Mark Brown, ‘Iranian artist opens Leeds show exploring disability and migration’, The Guardian, 28 April 2024
- Mohammad Barrangi: The Art House
- One Night, One Dream, Life in the Lighthouse, University of Leeds
- Royal Drawing School: Student Focus
- Tim Cornwell, ‘British Museum Hosts Mural by Artist and Para-Athlete Mohammad Barrangi’, Kayhan Life, 15 November 2019
Selected exhibitions
- One Night, One Dream, Life in the Lighthouse (solo exhibition), University of Leeds, Leeds (2024)
- Diaspora Pavilion 2: London (two person exhibition with Andrew Pierre Hart), Block 336, London (2022)
- Anything is Possible (solo exhibition), Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh (2022)
- Facing the New Reality (group show), Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem (2022)
- Art Brussels (group show), Pedrami Gallery, Antwerp (2022)
- Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Hafez Gallery, Abu Dhabi (2022)
- Migrations: Postcards from Artists around the World (group show), University of Worcester, Worcester (2021)
- Looking East (group show), British Museum, London (2019)
- Who Are We? (commission and workshop), Tate Modern, London (2018)
