The Belle Époque Today: The Art of Saied Dai, RP

Of Persian descent, Saied Day moved to England with his family at the age of six. Before being awarded a place in the Royal Academy of Arts, he studied at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. In 2004, he was accepted into the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Dai’s portraits have a magical quality about them. I can see the influences of painters such as Modigliani—with the elongated, almost Manneristic, necks and almond-like eyes— in his compositions, yet his work is purely his own invention and quite ingenious. He works in rich colors—yellows and regal blues which contrast marvelously against one another and create a splendid impact with his palid flesh-tones.

Dai also produces lovely landscapes, cityscapes and still life paintings. There’s a certain looseness to his brushstrokes that imbues his works with a particularly organic quality. For a further look at Saied Dai’s works, please visit his Web site.