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Kermanshah, was once a trading center on the caravan routes between the Mediterranean Sea and Central Asia; these roads were part of the ancient "Silk Roads", the roads of Marco Polo, Alexander the Great, Kublai-Khan and Attila, the Hun. Bagher grew up in a large, middle class family. His father, a strong, honest and religious man was a retailer; he owned a shoe store. He was popular and played the Setaar. He had thirteen children, eight boys and five girls from two wives. He was a strict disciplinarian who believed the rough treatment he handed out to his boys would make them strong.
Like his older brothers Bagher's father took him at a tender young age to work at the "bazaar", the ancient marketplace where master craftsmen and artists sold their craft. The fine workmanship displayed in the construction and manufacture of hand-knotted Persian carpets, extraordinarily crafted knives, elegant shoes, graceful handmade pottery, beautiful inlaid wood works and exquisite jewelry inspired young Bagher. His camaraderie with these artis nourished his interest in the diversified articulations of humanity. When Bagher was twelve years old he was an apprentice goldsmith, designing and making gold chains and rings. By the age of seventeen, he had expanded his artistic talents into woodcarvings and pottery. Bagher graduated from High School an artist in his own right. He went on to college and became a schoolteacher. His creativity flowed from the one project into the other. His inquisitive nature and multiple talents even brought him into building a prototype three-cylinder, two-cycle automotive style gasoline engine. He decided at that time to attend a German college to further his technical education. In 1978 Bagher came to the United States, hungry for more knowledge; he continued his education, while his hobbies became even more varied. He expanded his artistic talents through poetry and music. Bob's musical talents quickly blossomed while he norished his fine workmanship in woodcarving. He designed and built a Setaar, his instrument of choice. The music of the Setaar can be heard in most Persian musical ensembles. Bob loves this instrument and has been found playing until the early hours of the morning, inspired by the beautiful sweet sound of ancient Persian melodies. In his early years in the United States, Bob started dabbling in ceramics. He found it the perfect medium for expressing his poetry and philosophy. He says that the process starts as an inspiration that comes to him, as if the hand of God is guiding him in his expression of thought. He works in an
intense and frenzied pace, until he is utterly exhausted, to get the thesis
of his painting established. The formula for making one of his exquisitely
decorated ceramic plate paintings requires weeks of intensive labor and creative work.
The Ceramic Plate Shows have awarded Bob first place for many of his ceramic
plate paintings, a true testament to the quality of his paintings. His
plates are so admired, he is often asked if they are for sale. The answer he
finds difficult as they have become part of him, his philosophy stated and
his imagination put into artistic expression.
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