Fereydoun Ave (b. 1945, Tehran, Iran) is one of the most influential figures in Iranian contemporary art and his prolific efforts have taken diverse aspects. He received his BA in Applied Arts for Theatre from Arizona State University, studied film at New York University, and studied at the University of Seven Seas (aka Semester at Sea). During his career, which spans over five decades, he has successfully taken many different roles including that of an artist, a designer, an art director, a collector, a curator, a gallerist, and an arts patron. His artworks have been featured in many solo exhibitions along with hundreds of group shows in galleries and museums all around the world. As well as being purchased by many notable private collectors, Ave’s works have been acquired by prestigious art institutions including the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Cy Twombly Foundation, and Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA).