Cyrus Afsary Works
Arizona artist Cyrus Afsary is equally adept at painting landscapes, still lifes and portraits, infusing each with the sensitivity that characterizes all of his work. His colors are clear and clean; the brushwork is decisive and vigorous, conveying through lucid technical choices his personal interpretation of the subject at hand. His paintings emulate the works of 19th century Romantic painters whose sensuous brushwork and rich coloration capture the light as well as the soul of the subjects. Afsary’s style is painterly and impressionistic.
He studied art in college where he received classical instruction with artists of Russian background whose method of painting loosely with a wide brush had a lasting influence on him. Later influences included John Singer Sargent, Nicolai Fechin, Ilya Repin, William Merritt Chase and Thomas Moran.
Outdoors, Afsary paints small studies which he later uses in combination with photographs to complete the paintings in his studio in Tempe, Arizona. His aim is not to reproduce the natural world eidetically, but to use it as a point of departure for creative exploration.
Cyrus and his work appear in numerous publications, and his work is included regularly in national exhibitions. He has won Best of Show at the CM Russell Auction of Original Western Art and Best of Show at the annual Oil Painters of America exhibition. He has also received gold and silver medals from the National Academy of Western Art, and he was the first recipient of the coveted Lougheed Memorial Award. Over the years, Afsary’s paintings have gained a huge following among art collectors. His work is represented by Trailside Galleries, Jackson, Wyoming, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Atlermann Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico and New York. Settlers West, Tucson, Arizona and Mockingbird Gallery, Bend, Oregon.