Daryoush Ababaf

I’m an internationally renowned Persian artist who was born in Tehran, Iran, moved to the United States in 2005, and currently reside in Plano, Texas. I have participated in numerous domestic & international exhibitions and ranked 1st place as an artist with an extraordinary ability. A CNN reports back in 1996 described my work as “unrivaled,” and the Iranian Minister of Culture honored me as an “Iranian Master of Art”. The Iranian Cultural Heritage & Tourism Organization also nominated me as an outstanding artist who contributed to the fields of art & culture for the last 100 years. Additionally, California senator presented “Certificate of Special Recognition” to me in honor of outstanding community spirit & participation in the San Diego County Fair as a Design in Wood Competitor in 2018. I’m highly recognized for my major contributions to the art of “inlay-on-wood” by eliminating drawings from, and adding 3D effect to my works. “Inlay on wood”, known in Iran & Germany as “Moarraq/Marquetry”, is the art of creating artistic images by inlaying small pieces of wood using a fretsaw. I describe my work as an effort to reveal the secrets of the wood’s life. At first glance, the artwork appears to be a beautiful painting, whereas no paintbrush has ever been used in the piece. Every single arc and line on the work is either delicately selected natural grains or colors of the wood or an elaborate cutting trace. I use resin at the end to create a dreamy background for each piece. I currently have some of my artworks displaying at the Dragon Street Glass Gallery in Dallas Design District and won Best of Show & People's Choice awards in several art exhibitions nationally & internationally. Creative Woodworks & Crafts magazine conducted and published an interview about my artistic specialties as well.