Pedram Harby, 1977, belongs to a generation of Iranian graphic designers who grew up during the 8 years of Iran-Iraq war. In this period, lack of direct contact with Western societies – particularly European countries – and Iran’s social situation in general led to a slight loss of interest in professions like graphic design.
By the end of the war in August 1988, the social situation in Iran had returned to its normal condition. Therefore, art universities became more and more active. As a result of these developments, the new generation of Iranian graphic designers followed along the path set forth by successful designers who had started their work before the revolution. Young designers in their early twenties, such as Pedram, emerged at this time.
In the 7th Biennial of Iranian Graphic Designers, Pedram won the first prize in the poster design category for his work entitled ‘Installation by Arash Yadollahi’. This poster, which is one of Pedram’s first printed works, is a composition of a photographic portrait of Vladimir Mayakovsky by Alexande Rodchenko with an unusual crop combined with a few lines of detached Farsi writing. This detachment of the Farsi lettering refers to the exhibition’s title.
One of the most important features of Pedram Harby’s work is his ability to combine different media in image making. He uses various techniques such as pure typography, photography of letterforms, three-dimensional compositions, custom designed fonts and pure photography. Perhaps the most distinct quality of Pedram’s design is that his next work is never predictable.
Pedram works calmly and thoughtfully in his studio, north of Tehran. He works a lot, listens to a lot of music and despite his doctor’s advice, he still smokes a lot of cigarettes.
www.pedram-harby.com