Biography
Shahla E.Jamal is an artist and educator who explores the exotic richness and deep spirituality of Persian life and culture in a variety of artistic media and styles. Her paintings frequently depict the celebratory aspects of Persian life, and her canvases are dynamic.
A native of Tehran, Iran, Shahla has been active for more than 25 years on the cultural scene in England, France, Germany, and the US. She completed her elementary and high school studies at L�Ecole Jeanne D�arc, where more than half of the classes were conducted in French . Shahla holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Tehran University. She continued her post-graduate studies in England and then pursued doctoral studies at the University of Sorbonne, France. In Germany, Shahla and her husband, Mo, worked as art teachers and performed in artistic events over a period of several years. In 1991, they founded Art Direct Gallery in Cologne, which displayed works by a variety of artists. As a result of her varied background, Shahla fluently speaks Farsi, French, German, and English.
Shahla�s paintings have been showcased in individual and group exhibitions around the world and reviewed on television in print and on television. Reviews of her work in Germany include:
� February, 1994, Rhein-Sieg-Zeituung, Bonn
� July, 1989 and November, 1991, Koelnische Rundschau and Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger, Cologne
� June, 1989, Rhein-Sieg-Anzeiger, Troidorf
� December, 1987, Speyer Tagespost, Speyer
� November, 1987, Die Rheinpfalz, Ludwigshafen
� May, 1987, Roemerberg Zeitung, Roemerberg
Venues featuring Shahla�s art works are as follows:
�June 2003, Shahrvand newsletter in Toronto, Canada, interview about Shahla's art and family history.
�February 2003, AVAANTI, journal of the Austin Visual Arts Association, dedicated an issue to the art works of Shahla and her husband Mo Jamal
� Year 2000, Austin, Texas, published a series of paintings as a box of 10 assorted postcards.
� December/January, 1998, AVAANTI, journal of the Austin Visual Arts Association; artistic statement with two joint works; painting featured on cover.
� February, 1997, Asheghaneh magazine in Houston, Texas. Painting by Shahla on cover and a 7-page interview with Shahla, with photograph.
� February, 1993, Painting on the cover of Women�s Thought, a book published in Frankfurt, Germany.
� June,1993, The Women�s Organization from WDR, a public television station in Cologne, created and presented a video on Shahla and her art which was broadcast three times in Cologne and once on the main German television channel ZDF.
After residing in Germany for nine years and in the United States for 9 years, Shahla moved to Toronto, Canada in February 2003 with her husband Mo and their four sons. Most members of the family are active in various venues on the Austin cultural scene. She has been teaching art during 1997-2003 at the Doughtery Arts Center in Austin, Texas. In the year 2000, Shahla and Mo co-founded the Rumi Art Society, a domestic nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand and celebrate the work of the renowned ancient Persian poet, intellectual, and educator Rumi by providing an artistic outlet for Austin�s growing middle-eastern community and by exposing members of the Austin community to art forms and cultures with which they may not be familiar. Events sponsored and presented by the Rumi Art society include a No-Rooz celebration of the Persian new year and other occasional events that combine music, dance, painting displays, poetry and comedic performances. Shahla and Mo received several grants during 1998-2002 from the City Cultural Contracts in Austin, Texas.
In recent years, Shahla and Mo have completed several joint works in pastel, acrylic, watercolor, and oil. They have similar artistic goals and enjoy collaborating on artistic projects, just as they take pleasure in sharing other aspects of their lives. Since 1999, Shahla has expanded her work with Mo to include not only painting but also music, in which Mo has long excelled as composer, master of various musical instruments. Since the year 2000, Shahla has participated as a vocalist in the Rumi Ensemble and has sung songs composed by Mo and recorded on CD. In addition, Mo and Shahla presented a weekly program featuring Persian music and culture on �Payke- Ashti� via KOOP radio in Austin, Texas for 3 years.
Shahla is passionately committed to the goals of the Rumi Art Society, and, along with her husband Mo, looking forward to continually expanding the artistic, cultural, and educational offerings of that organization to the Toronto community.
