Why East must know Western art, while West knows little of East
By Alireza Sepahvand
Journalist
In every art faculty in Iran, students, from the very first semester, are immersed in the names and movements of Europe, Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism, Surrealism, Modernism, Postmodernism. Professors speak of Da Vinci, Cézanne, Picasso, and Warhol, guiding students to see the arc of world art history as stretching from Florence to New York. Yet, amid this European panorama, a pressing question takes shape: why must Iranian artists absorb the knowledge of Western art to be considered competent, while Western artists can claim to be “global” without ever understanding Persian miniature, Islamic calligraphy, or the rich visual traditions of East Asia? This is no mere matter of curriculum; it is a reflection of a deeper, persistent inequality that stretches from the age of cultural colonialism to the present day.
Legacy of Western cultural dominance
Since the 19th century, Europe, and later the United States, has dominated not only economics and politics but also culture, presenting itself as the universal measure. Art history was rewritten so that beauty appeared to evolve from ancient Greece to European modernism. In this narrative, Asia, Africa, and other regions became “the other”: Cultures to inspire from, but not to study deeply. As a result, the world was divided into “center” and “periphery.” The center sets artistic standards, the periphery must learn them. This division remains evident in many non-Western art education systems, including Iran.
Formation of Western-oriented art education in Iran
From the founding of Dar ul-Funun (the first modern school) to the Faculty of Fine Arts in the 1940s, Iran modeled art education on French and Italian academies. European-trained professors brought a scientific, perspectival, Renaissance-rooted vision. Over time, this approach became the standard of “professionalism.” Little space remained for Iranian or Eastern arts. “Art history” effectively meant European art history. Calligraphy, miniature painting, and illumination were marginalized. Even composition and design were taught according to Western visual logic, not the Eastern worldview, which sees space and time as fluid and inward.
Western gaze on Eastern art: Learning vs. consuming
When Western artists engage with Eastern art, their goal has often been to consume its beauty, not understand its philosophy. The East becomes a source of color, form, and mystery. From Impressionists inspired by Japanese prints to modern artists using Arabic calligraphy or Persian motifs, a subtle hierarchy persists: One side draws inspiration without feeling obliged to learn. A Western artist can gain international success with superficial knowledge of Eastern elements, while an Eastern artist must master Western visual and theoretical language to be understood. This reflects cultural imbalance, not innate superiority.
Globalization’s single hub
Many hoped globalization would reduce Western cultural centrality. In practice, the same structures remain. Major museums, galleries, and art markets are still in New York, London, and Paris. Their standards define what is “global.” Iranian artists seeking recognition must understand Western visual language, while Western artists continue to occupy privileged positions without studying the East.
Identity crisis of Eastern artist
Iranian artists face two opposing demands: Conform to Western aesthetic and educational standards to participate globally, yet remain faithful to cultural roots. This tension often produces works suspended between modern and traditional, local and global. Paintings use Western techniques but Eastern themes, or conceptual works employ Iranian symbols as mere decoration. This state is not the artist’s weakness; it shows the historical condition in which the East must learn while the West can afford to ignore.
Redefining East, West in art
Escaping this cycle does not mean rejecting Western art. Understanding and dialogue with other cultures are essential for any civilization. But this dialogue must be mutual. Just as Iranian artists must learn Western art, Western artists should study Eastern art, Islamic aesthetics, and Asian visual traditions, not as decoration, but as a genuine intellectual pursuit within global art.
Revising educational systems
Art history in Iranian universities should be taught as multicentric and truly global. Arts from China, India, Iran, and the Islamic world should stand on equal footing with European art.
Developing indigenous aesthetics
For Iranian art to play an active role globally, its own aesthetic theories must be revived. Concepts such as proportion, spirit, light, and silence in Persian art can form the foundation of new theoretical frameworks.
Expanding cultural exchange
Joint exhibitions, translation of Eastern art scholarship into Western languages (and vice versa), and creation of research centers can help restore balance between East and West.
Globalization through dialogue, not imitation
Studying Western art is undeniably valuable; no culture can thrive in isolation. Yet when learning flows in only one direction, it perpetuates cultural injustice. True global art will emerge only when mutual understanding replaces mere imitation. Only when a Western artist approaches Persian miniature or the philosophy of Islamic art with the same devotion an Iranian student brings to Western modernism can the age of cultural dominance be ended. Until that day, the East continues to learn, the West continues to judge, and though the shift may be slow, the scales of artistic dialogue must one day be rewritten.