Tirafkan was born in Iraq to Iranian parents, but when he was six years of age his family fled the country before the start of the Islamic revolution. His family returned to Tehran where he grew up. As a young man, Tirafkan fought in the eight year long Iran - Iraq war in the 1980’s as a basiji or conscripted soldier. The artist is extremely proud to be Iranian and much of his work is characterised by a strong emphasis on the fundamental role of the male in traditional Iranian society.

Artist’s Biography

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