Mélodie Hojabr-Sadat was born in Paris, France on the 25th October, 1989. Her early childhood was spent attending school – where she excelled in drawing and art. Her parents, of Iranian origins, returned to Iran in 2000 to see family. Mélodie had not seen many of her immediate family since she was very young, and as an eleven year old, she was fascinated by the country. Arriving in Mashhad, one of Iran’s main cities, she was overwhelmed by family affection and generosity. Her early childhood memories of ‘men in mustaches and beards’ was soon replaced by the loving presence of her maternal grandparents.

Mélodie concentrated on her art, drawing whenever she could and creating toys from household items to entertain herself. With supportive grandparents, Mélodie was encouraged to draw and paint, in a society that doesn’t always encourage individual expression. She describes her grandparents as ‘super heroes’.

School in Iran was different, and although teased for her French accent when speaking Farsi, Mélodie adapted well. As in France, she excelled in art. She says “It was my favorite class since nobody would tease me for my accent and I could communicate with friends through art”. In time, Mélodie came to appreciate her new surroundings and the fact she was being raised with both the French and Iranian cultures. The experience eventually had a huge grounding effect for Mélodie. By 18, she had achieved her Baccalaureate in Science (Physics and Mathematics) in Iran.

In 2007 Mélodie returned to France with dreams of studying art. she started to draw with renewed and sustained energy.

Experimenting with various forms and techniques, in 2009 Mélodie started using ink markers. A method she found exhilarating. She literally became a self-taught artist gaining recognition via the Internet. In 2009 she had her first exhibit at Créteil, featured as an emerging young talent. Today, Mélodie sees painting as her ‘destiny’. Mélodie sees her art as “a bridge and link between two cultures and languages”. Much of Mélodie graphic attention to detail, in her narrative oriented art, is based on obsessions with famous Iranian personalities. Her imagery, using strong colors, abstract characters and cartoon-like humor, is compelling work. It’s clear we are looking into the mind of a sensitive soul – but one that is also is quite happy to have a good laugh at life. Mélodie is a very expressive artist that makes total sense in today’s fascination with graphic narratives. She is a modernist, but one with an eye for the subtle cues that capture our attention as opposed to trying too hard to be different.