The living body of Khalilifard was escorted to his eternal abode/ the artist who pledged allegiance to Imam Hossein (a.s.)

According to Fars news agency, the funeral and farewell ceremony for the deceased artist Ahmed Khalilifard was held this morning in the presence of a group of cultural managers, artists and art lovers in the campus of Sourah University.

At the beginning of this ceremony, Mohammad Hossein Sa’i, the president of Surah Pusht and Tribune University, appeared and said in his words: During the last 4-5 years that I had the opportunity to get to know Zindiad Khalilifard, there is one thing that has remained in my mind from my encounter with him that I will always remember. It is repeated. In the first month of Muharram, when I met the late Khalilifard at the university, I told him to gather the children and do something for Imam Hussain (AS). Zindiad Khalilifard enthusiastically accepted and the result of the work was the “Zhor Ashura” sign which is now installed in the Shadman metro station.

He continued: Zindayad Khalilifard told me something worth pondering about the “Dawn of Ashura” painting, and that is that the soldiers are ready for battle, which is depicted with a shield in a part of the work, and they are looking at Imam Hussain (a.s.). They are considered to be his preparation and allegiance to Imam Hussain (a.s.).

The President of Sourah University added: “In these last years, Zindiad Khalilifard’s illness is bothering him a lot, but we didn’t hear any complaints from him, and whatever happened, it was thanks.” In the last years of his life, he lived in a special and beautiful world that he made himself. The mood of the last years of the late Khalilifard’s life was a lesson for me, and today we have lost a person who had a mystical and scholarly view of the world. I hope his students can continue the teacher’s path.

In another part of the ceremony, Mahmoud Shalawi, the head of the Association of Cultural Artifacts and Monuments, came to speak at the podium and said: “Today, we are all mourning the loss of a loved one who was a worthy and unique person in terms of morals and spirituality in the community of visual arts. Since the time when the disease happened to him, no one has ever seen Khalilifard upset or worried. He was always grateful and happy, and he struggled with the disease as if he was recovering.

He added: 10 days ago Zindiad Khalilifard called me and said that so-and-so got better! I said, do you want to work again? He said that I was working during this period as well, but now I want to continue my work more seriously. Since that day, I have always thanked God that Ahmed has resumed his artistic activities.

Shalawi said: The late Khalilifard was a man of heart and spirituality. I have known him closely for nearly 20 years, and in all these years, he was a decent and good-natured person. He was one of the clear examples of a committed and creative artist, and today his place is really empty. Ahmed did not belong to this world and finally passed to the rest of the world. I offer my condolences to the dear people of Kurdistan who raised such an artist in their bosom and presented him to the artistic community of the country.

In another part of this ritual, Kazem Nazari, the head of the Faculty of Arts of Sourah University and the director general of performing arts of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, appeared behind the podium and said in a short speech: “Ahmad! We were waiting for you to attend the university and congratulate you on Teacher’s Day. The whisper of your voice is always in our ears.

He said: I witnessed how Zindiad Khalilifard painted “Dawn of Ashura” with such a beautiful mood. While working, he would sit alone in this gallery and whisper to himself. Sometimes I looked at him from behind and watched his special mood.

In the continuation of this ceremony, Khosro Khosravi Jolodar, a member of the faculty of Sourah University and a colleague of Zindiad Khalilifard, came to give a speech at the podium and said in a statement: I was a classmate of Ahmad. We were together from the beginning at Tehran University. I came to the podium on behalf of the visual arts department of the university and wanted to thank everyone present.

He said: Ahmed lived by painting and had this trait with him until the last moments of his life. There is a wall work of his at the intersection of Azadi St. and Yadgar Imam, and when I saw it today, I thought of Ahmad’s art and remembered that this work is among the few works of art in Tehran that have been restored several times.

Khosravi Jolodar added: Ahmad was able to establish a relationship between the ethnic and cultural elements to which he belonged, as well as Iranian situations, and in this regard, he provided a general, simple and beautiful interpretation. He translated the poems and literature of his country beautifully for us. This characteristic is evident even in those works of his that had a religious orientation. Ahmed sat alone in the gallery and worked for hours. In all his works, there was cultural connection and appeal.

In the final part of this ceremony, Reza Hedayat, an artist and a long-time friend of Khalilifard, appeared behind the podium and said: “Ever since Ahmed got to know himself, he knew that he had to fall in love, or else the world will end.” Ahmed was in love, he is alive; Because the dead is the one whose name is not blasphemed.

Hedayat continued: I had many friendships with Ahmed, we traveled and lived together. Ahmed was well-traveled and well-mannered. His humor and sarcasm were popular with everyone. His departure is hard for us, but accepting that someone is no longer with us will be acceptable with patience.

This artist stated: We know that Ahmed always has a place in our hearts with his kindness and good behavior. He had proven himself to the artistic community and had gained a special place. Ahmed did his job and he doesn’t owe anything to this world anymore.

Mohammad Hossein Niromand, advisor for art and cinema affairs to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Abdul Reza Sohrabi, Director General of Visual Arts, Ali Tan, Advisor for Martyrs Affairs to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mahmoud Shalawi, President of the Association of Artifacts and Cultural Honors, Mohammad Hossein Saei, President of Soura University, Kazem Nazari, Director General Performing Arts and Head of Sourah Art Faculty, Jafar Vahedi, Head of Contemporary Visual Arts Development Institute, Seyed Mustafa Zaravandian, Deputy Artistic Director of Visual Arts Center, Mostafa Gudarzi, Reza Hedayat, Taher Sheikh-Hukmai, Korosh Parsanjad, Mohammad Khazaei, Hossein Asmati, Ramtin Shahbazi, Khosro Khosravi Jolodar And… among the figures present in Badragh ritual was the living body of Ahmad Khalilifard.

At the end of this ceremony, the body of Ahmad Khalilifard was transferred to the Behesht Zahra Artist’s Plot for burial in the midst of the enthusiastic procession of art lovers.

Ahmad Khalilifard, born in Sanandaj in 1339, has a bachelor’s degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, a master’s degree in painting from Tarbiat Modares University and a member of the faculty of Soura University, who passed away this morning after enduring a period of illness.

The memorial service of this late artist will be held tomorrow Sunday (May 17th) from 15:00 to 17:00 at the Ayatollah Khamenei Mosque of the Islamic Propaganda Organization’s artistic field, located on Samiye Street.

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