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Artist Bio

Artist Bob Pejman was surrounded by art and culture from an early age. The son of an operatic composer and a concert musician, he spent his early childhood in Vienna, and then by way of England moved to the United States in 1976. Bob Pejman began painting by the age of seven, and by the time he was sixteen had won numerous awards in group exhibitions.

However, despite his art instructor's insistence for him to pursue an education and career in art, Pejman decided to enter the field of business management.

Upon his graduating from Rutgers University and after numerous years of employment at leading Software companies, Pejman secured a position as a Vice president of Marketing at Information Resources Inc, a global market research company.

However, it was not until 1988 when Pejman decided to return to the art world by opening up an art gallery. As a result of his direct exposure to fine art and contact with European masters whom he was representing at the gallery, he decided to start painting again. In 1991 he began his two year formal studies with the world renowned Russian artist, Anatoly Ivanov. Later he attended the prestigious New York Art Students league as well as furthering his studies with the impressionist master, Ovanes Berberian.

In 1995, the artist founded Pejman Editions, an art publishing company that would be dedicated to publishing and distributing hand embellished canvas limited editions of his works. In 1999 Pejman left his corporate career to pursue his art and publishing career on a full time basis. Among his art instructors, Ivanov influenced Pejman the most by inspiring him to use the techniques of old masters such as Michelangelo and Rafael. Employing these almost forgotten techniques, Pejman skillfully blends impressionistic colors and techniques to achieve a classical but yet contemporary style.

Bob Pejman's style is influenced by such artists as Sir Alma Tadema, Thomas Cole, and Maxfield Parrish. All of them sharing the attributes of technical mastery, form, and perspective. While the influence of these masters is evident in Pejman's works, it is through his unique arrangement and depiction of the subject matters that he achieves a distinctive style. One can classify his style as romantic realism, which he interestingly enough achieves by portraying beauty and solitude.

In his works, Pejman creates idyllic, tranquil worlds. “There are no people in my paintings, so you can imaging yourself in the scenes”, explains the artist. “The scenes are already romantic, but my idea is to make them even more so”. In doing so, he pushes the colors to make them more intense and exaggerates the sunlight.

"I don't simplify the shapes. You get into the cracks and feel the structures and the stones," he says, considering them to be marks of cultivated wisdom rather than declination. There is romance in history, and Pejman reminds the viewer of classic beauty and emotions that transcend time, all inherent to such places as the Mediterranean.

Since his first one-man exhibition in 1993, Pejman has received national and international attention. His works were chosen to be made into jacquard loom tapestries in Paris, France and distributed through Design Toscano in Chicago. Wall size murals are published by Verkereke in Germany, and Portal Publications in San Francisco is publishing a series of graphics. Pejman's works can be found in many prestigious galleries and private collections through the world. He has exhibited in New York, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and other major cities.

Style & Influences:

Pejman's style can be characterized as Romantic Realism, which is a type of Classical Realism. As described by Sarah Seamark, senior editor of Art World News in an article on Bob Pejman that was published in the November 2004 issue of the magazine, "Inspiration for his style, that likens to romantic realism, comes from the Hudson River School, the classic landscapes of Thomas Cole and Frederick Church, the utopias of Maxfield Parish, and above all, from the Victorian artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema, known for his theatrical paintings of Roman ruins. While the influence of these masters is evident in Pejman's works, it is through his unique arrangement and depiction of the subject matters that he achieves a distinctive style. It is the effect of beauty and solitude together that creates this romantic mood that Pejman wishes to offer collectors of his work."

Pejman's style has also been likened to theatrical set designs by many art critics. This design element together with his combination of classical painting style and use of contemporary colors make Pejman's works unique and notable in the school of Classical Realism. Art critic Eileen Watkins, in her review of a Pejman Exhibition in The Newark Star Ledger, published in October 1995 stated, "Many of these works resemble theatrical sets, with the nearer elements framing dramatic vistas." In describing one of Pejman's works, she goes on to say, "Spring Time in Persepolis" features a ruined temple, its gray stone columns and walls carved with animals and soldiers. A slab in the foreground, however, displays spring flowers in a cracked vase, lush, dewy fruit and a colorful bird - the meticulous details suggest a 17th Century Dutch still life, but without the gloomy lighting." In an article published in the March 1997 issue of Heritage Magazine, contributing writer Anna Ahkami describes Bob Pejman's style as, "Blending realism, impressionism and fantasy, Bob Pejman's paintings offer a modern look at the ancient ruins of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fragments of stone temples, majestic villas and overgrown gardens, some of which no longer exist, are painted in direct, clear-cut detail. Pejman relies upon his vivid imagination to rebuild these relics showing the impact centuries of wind, nature and man's own destruction have had upon them. Using bright, contemporary luminescent colors viewers are welcomed into such lush yet forgotten places as Persepolis, Babylon and Pompeii."

Pejman also paints in a less rigid style via a self ascribed palette knife technique. The emphasis in this style is texture rather than detail. Ironically, the artist achieves the illusion of detail via texture in a style can be described as a unique blend of realism, expressionism, and impressionism - yet unmistakably recognizable as that of Bob Pejman.


Exhibitions:

2018 Sargents Fine Art, Lahaina HI
2017 Sargents Fine Art, Lahaina HI
2016 Pejman Gallery, Scottsdale AZ
2016 Sargents Fine Art, Lahaina HI
2015 Pejman Gallery, Scottsdale AZ
2014 Sargents Fine Art, Lahaina HI
2014 Pejman Gallery, Scottsdale AZ
2014 Visions FIne Art, Sedona AZ
2013 Signature Gallery, Laguna Beach CA
2013 Sargents Fine Art, Lahaina HI
2013 Pejman Fine Art, Scottsdale AZ
2012 The Signature Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2012 Sargent's Fine Art, Maui, HI
2011 Sargent's Fine Art, Maui, HI
2010 Pejman Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ
2009 Miranda Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2009 North Star Gallery Freehold, NJ
2009 American Visions Gallery, Folsom, CA
2008 American Visions Fine Art
2009 Valencia Gallery, Valencia, CA
2008 Art Expo New York, NY
2008 North Star Art Gallery, Lahaska, PA
2008 Oaks Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA
2008 American Visions Fine Art, Folsom, CA
2008 Valencia Gallery, Valencia, CA
2007 Sargents Fine Art, Maui, HI
2007 North Star Gallery, Freehold, NJ
2006 Art Expo New York, NY
2006 Sargent's Fine Art, Lahaina, HI
2006 American Visions Fine Art, Folsom, CA
2006 Northridge Gallery, Nortridge, CA
2005 Sargent's Fine Art, Lahaina, HI
2005 North Star Gallery, Freehold, NJ
2005 American Visions Gallery, Folsom, CA
2005 Oaks Gallery, Thousand Oaks, CA
2005 Sargent's Fine Art, Lahaina, HI
2004 Thomas Kinkade Galleries, GA
2004 American Visions Gallery, Folsom, CA
2004 Art Expo New York
2004 Sargent's Fine Art, Maui, HI
2003 American Visions Gallery, Folsom, CA
2003 Sargent's Fine Art, Kaanapali & Lahaina, Maui, HI
2002 Art Expo, New York, NY
2001 Sargent's Fine Art, Maui, HI
2001 Art Expo, New York, NY
2000 Art Expo, New York, NY
1999 Gallery 5, Palm Beach, NY
1998 Gallery 5, Soho, New York
1998 Art Expo, New York, NY
1998 Palm Desert Fine Art, Palm Desert,CA
1997 Art Expo, New York, NY
1996 Art Miami, Miami, FL
1996 Art Expo, New York, NY
1994 Art Expo, New York, NY
1993 Art Expo, New York, NY
1993 Pejman Gallery, Short Hills, NJ


In the Press:

US Air Editorial 2012

Art World News Editorial 2004

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