Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar has the artistic ability to create dialogue that goes far beyond the strokes of his canvases. A fourth generation creative, the French-Iranian artist has earned the reputation as the ‘artist who paints energy’, he attributes meditation to both saving his life and for forging a new, unique method of painting that peels back more than just the layers of paint; it strips us, the viewer, back to the core of our humanity, inviting us to discover who we were, who we can truly become.
Born in Paris in 1984, a sudden move to Iran when Behnam-Bakhtiar was seven years old would shape his world – on one hand the discovery of the Persian culture with its rich heritage transformed the young creative’s mind, on the other hand struggling to deal with being away from his beloved father who introduced him to the arts, resulted in emotional trauma paired with a sense of misplacement that would take years to recalibrate.
Moves to London and the GCC followed, before the allure of the French Riviera took hold. It’s here he’s spent the last 15 years residing in and reviving the cultural scene of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, conveying its iconic, sun-drenched scenery onto canvas, developing his signature peinture raclée style and turning to meditation. His work has been exhibited from New York, Düsseldorf and Tehran to Monaco, London and the Maldives, collaborating with leading art institutions such as Phillips and Sotheby’s, galleries, exclusive hotels and Monégasque royalty.
More recently, Behnam-Bakhtiar’s compass has pointed back East, as Doha draws him in with its quieter, calmer rhythm of life. “I came here because I fell in love with Qatar. It reminded me of my time when I moved to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It’s such a beautiful place but rarely talked about. But that’s what I like… To me, it’s one of the world’s best kept secrets. In some ways I hope it stays that way because the pace and the quality of life here is something that is almost extinct in our world today.”
Drawn in by the country’s authentic energy, its culture, community and landscapes, Behnam-Bakhtiar has planted longer-term seeds in the state, allowing his assimilation into its art scene to take root organically. With permanent works installed at Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl-Qatar created using natural pigments and elements gathered from Qatar, new creative spaces imminent and an over-arching mission to produce and promote sustainable artistry between the South of France, Monaco and Doha, Behnam-Bakhtiar’s life is vibrant as the legacy he has been leaving behind.
ESQUIRE: Do you remember the moment you realised art was your calling?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: I’m a fourth-generation creative, so [art] was always running in my blood. The most important starting influence was when I lived with my father in Paris. He used to take me to the museums, and I fell in love with the works by the French Impressionists. I always loved to draw and paint—it’s a need that’s stayed with me. After I did my MBA in 2011, I decided to put 100 percent of my time into my practice. Not everyone was happy about the decision, but I went about it on my own terms. It was
the best decision of my life.
ESQ: You’re known as the artist who ‘paints energy’. Why the moniker?
SBB: Coming from a political and complicated family on the Iranian side, I’ve seen my family struggle a lot and life has been rocky. All the stress built up over the years and my health was in a very dangerous place. I was pretty much about to die but doctors couldn’t do anything, so one day I turned to meditation thanks to my wife’s advice at that time. It kind of saved my life. I realised the immense power it had and so brought all these lessons—connecting to my inner self, healing, evolving as a human being—into my work too. Everything joined into one. And this is how I started painting energy.
ESQ: What is the core message of your work?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: Human evolution. I want my audience to come in front of my work and understand that they can live in a different way, change some small habits and become the best version of themselves in this world. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, where I moved 15 years ago, was the perfect place to unite all these experiences. I hid behind closed doors for two years and came up with my signature style peinture raclée, which I showed at Saatchi Gallery in London in 2017 for the first time. I’ve never looked back.
ESQ: Talk us through this signature style a bit more…
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: When I meditate, I visualise and feel many things, so I tried to put that on the surface of the canvas. It involves a lot of layering and delayering. We all have many layers of humanity through experiences, and as we get older, these layers add up. I like to go back in and remove some of the layers of paint when they’re semi-dry, which symbolises an inwards journey to understand who we were or who we can become. We have so much power that is dormant within us and I really want to bring that out.
ESQ: How does sustainability play into your work?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: Due to the nature of my work, I started asking myself why do we as painters do things a certain way and what could be done to ensure that our process is refined to be harmonious with the well-being of our environment, while staying true to one’s creative process. I work with natural or recycled pigments, and they behave differently. It took years to turn my practice into a sustainable one because the way I use paint is alchemy. Even the canvas I use is naturally treated and the wood for the chassis is sustainably sourced.
ESQ: This methodology then gave birth to your Living Paintings…
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: Yes, that was the starting point but there’s a lot more texture in the Living Paintings. I started using ground, semi-precious stones, so the paintings become more of a sculpture. And the magical moment for me was watching the work really change—because these pigments reflect the light in a completely different manner, the vibe of the work changes under different light.
ESQ: How you paint is a closely guarded secret. What can you tell us?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: How I paint is very personal to me, whether in my studio in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, or in the new studios I’m opening in Monaco and Doha. I keep my creative place very secluded as the energy and the nature of the environment are very important to me. In Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, my studio opens to the garden, with beautiful trees and plants; everything is in harmony. I usually do 10 to 30 minutes of meditation, and then I purely focus on the creative process. When I’m in my zone, I release my emotions and feelings on the surface of the canvas. My creation is impromptu. I don’t plan. I just create and I stop whenever I’m happy with it. Patience, thankfully, is a notion that I highly enjoy.
ESQ: Why did you choose Qatar for your next studio space?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: I fell in love with the place—it’s paradise. The safety, peacefulness, flow of life and authenticity. It’s very laid-back and multi-faceted. When we first visited, I started losing myself exploring the natural landscapes, learning a bit more about the arts and cultural programmes, and I connected to the values in place here. Things became serious when I felt a connection to the land, like I have been here before.
ESQ: Which lead to your collaboration with Four Seasons at The Pearl-Qatar?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: Yes, exactly. I’ve previously collaborated with Grand-Hotel Du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel, which is a second home, and now there’s a bridge to Four Season at The Pearl-Qatar for which I created two large works using natural elements from around Qatar, including ground stone and sand, now permanently displayed in the hotel’s lobby.
I am now opening my first Doha art studio space at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences at the Pearl-Qatar, continuing my collaboration with the group.
ESQ: As a French-Iranian artist in Qatar, is it important to blend these cultures?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: Culture is life, and my working style has been created through past decades from two separate worlds—the world of the great French impressionists always following the light, to the meticulous Persian ways of creating art.
ESQ: Tell us about your legacy project, Life Energy…
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: Life Energy is a series of miniature 20 x 20cm paintings in my signature style of work available to a select audience and collector group. Life Energy extends beyond the canvas; it embodies long-term missions, dedicated to empowering the creative youth. Life Energy’s core lies in serving as a space for education, inspiration, and guidance, promoting a lifestyle that values creativity in harmony with nature, personal and professional well-being, and the potential for a connected, vibrant existence in our contemporary creative world. Sales from this series are allocated for the sponsorship of selected creatives through annual open applications.
ESQ: Which brings us back to Doha, and your first Life Energy collaboration here…
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: The first Life Energy project in Qatar is an ongoing annual partnership with King’s College Doha, where a panel of judges will be selecting the best admissions from their art students, allowing them to immerse themselves in a two-month intensive program with me, at my Doha art studio. These students will have access to my private creative practice where I’ll be teaching them sustainable ways of perfecting their craft. Leading students will be taken to Paris on an explorative tour of the top Parisian museums and art galleries.
ESQ: Now you’re embedded in Doha’s art scene, what’s your view on the industry here?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: The government has done a superb job with the arts, creating spectacular museums, extensive collections and excellent exhibitions. The amount of effort that they’re putting in… it’s a kind of a creative revolution which was unseen in the GCC. Take for instance the ever-growing collection of world-class art on public display or their commitment in engaging the public into the world of art. I am confident, it’s just the beginning—a beautiful journey that I’d like to be part of. As an international artist, I’ll certainly be doing my part, to add efforts from my side, bringing further attention from international communities while adding some layers to this movement.
ESQ: Lastly, has Qatar had any lasting impact on your painting style?
SASSAN BEHNAM-BAKHTIAR: I think that time will tell, but surely the dynamics of my life between the South of France, Principality of Monaco and Doha create magic. My work comes from within, and I would say, my work gets first and foremost impacted from how I feel, therefore, I am sure to be seeing an interesting shift in my practice, as Doha has certainly added additional layers of time, space and humanity to my life, and all very positive.
Photography by Ben Cope / Styling by Laura Jane Brown / Produced by Narges Raiss / Assistant Styling by Ynkar Dyussengulova / Grooming by Aldo Coppola / Location: Msheireb District