Interview with Axel Pahlavi at H Gallery, Paris
Conducted by Kasra Aliha & Behnood Massoumi
As part of his highly anticipated solo exhibition in Paris, French-Iranian painter Axel Pahlavi sat down with Kasra Aliha and Behnood Massoumi for an in-depth conversation held at H Gallery. In this rare and intimate dialogue, Pahlavi opens up about his artistic process, his ongoing exploration of the human figure, and the spiritual and emotional tensions that inform his work.
For the first time publicly, he also reflects on his family history and distant connection to Iran’s royal lineage, offering a nuanced perspective on how heritage, identity, and displacement subtly echo through his canvases.
With clarity and candor, Pahlavi speaks of painting not as a pursuit of beauty, but as a way to confront inner fragmentation, memory, and a longing for unity. His paintings—often marked by contrasts, contradictions, and a multiplicity of styles—become spaces of both confession and resistance.
This conversation is a rare glimpse into the soul of one of the most enigmatic voices in contemporary figurative painting today.