👀 Fancy van Gogh

#135 | The Persian connection

Hey you,

If you’ve been reading Just One Thing for any length of time, you know I have a thing for Vincent.

Because I love him so much, I’m always on the lookout for all things van Gogh. Or stan van Goghs. You know, the ones who acknowledge Vincent’s true genius wasn’t driven by severe mental illness but crippled by it. That he painted inspite of his illness. Kindred spirits.

Like Lisbon-based artist Alireza Karimi Moghaddam who recreates Vincent’s art in his own style that features… Vincent. 

Born in Iran (unlike me), Alireza fell in love with Van Gogh’s life story and vibrant art as a teenager (like me). Inspired, he developed a Vincent character to show how van Gogh’s life was all about beauty and love. “van Gogh and I have a deep friendship in my imagination”, he says. (In my head, Vincent and I have known each other across countless lives, the protagonists of our very own Cloud Atlas.) 

Perhaps because I’m offended on Vincent’s behalf every time I read a new think piece dissecting his life with opinions that shift with the fashion of the times, Alireza’s art makes me so happy. 

His Vincent character is how I imagine Vincent on his good days. Singular in his way of looking at the world, prolifically recreating it with the colours of life. Alireza’s adaptations are surreal, and he embeds Vincent in almost all of them.

My favourite, though, is this Valentine’s day post on his Instagram. 

I’d like to think Vincent would find it funny too.

Karina