Leyly Matine-Daftary

Leyly Matine-Daftary (1937–2007) was an Iranian modernist artist and art educator. She was based in both Tehran and Paris. Matine-Daftary was best known for her flat paintings that highlighted simplicity but still expressed emotions.

Biography
Leyly Matine-Daftary was born in 1937 in Tehran, Imperial State of Iran (now known as Iran). Her father, Ahmad Matin-Daftari, 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 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.

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 City
 * 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, Belgium
 * 1968, "International Festival of Arts", Shiraz Modern Iranian Art and Columbia University, New York City, New York
 * 1967, ”25 Years of Modern Iranian Art”, Tehran Museum, Tehran, Iran
 * 1966, Tehran Biennale, Iranian Pavilion, Official Selection, Tehran, Iran
 * 1962, Tehran Biennale, Iranian Pavilion, Official Selection, Tehran, Iran