Background
Leyly Matine-Daftary was born in Tehran. Her father, Ahmad Matine-Daftary, was Prime Minister of Iran, as was one of her grandfathers, Mohammad Mossadegh.
Leyly Matine-Daftary was born in Tehran. Her father, Ahmad Matine-Daftary, was Prime Minister of Iran, as was one of her grandfathers, Mohammad Mossadegh.
After completing her elementary education in Tehran, she attended Cheltenham Ladies" College.
She was best known for her flat paintings that highlighted simplicity but still expressed emotions. She obtained a Fine Arts degree from the Slade School of Fine Art before returning to Tehran in the late 1950s. From 1960 until 1956 she lectured on sculpture and sculpting at the Fine Arts Faculty of Tehran University.
Matine-Daftary was involved in the early Tehran Biennial and in the Shiraz Arts Festival, for which she created iconic identifying materials.
Leyly Matine-Daftary died in Paris on 17 April 2007. Exhibitions
2016, "20th Century Art/Middle East", part of Middle East Art Week, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Dubai
2013 – 2014, "Iran Modern", Asia Society, New York
1974 – 1975, "Exhibition of the Contemporary Iranian Art collection of Farah Pahlavi" - (traveling) Tehran, Islamabad, Delhi, Istanbul, Ankara, Belgrade, Moscow, London and Paris
1973, Salon d’Automne, Paris Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels
1968, "International Festival of Arts", Shiraz Modern Iranian Art and Columbia University, New York
1967, ”25 Years of Modern Iranian Art”, Tehran Museum, Tehran
1966, Tehran Biennale, Iranian Pavilion, Official Selection, Tehran
1962, Tehran Biennale, Iranian Pavilion, Official Selection, Tehran.