Behrouz Gatmiri—poet, painter, and university professor in Tehran and Paris—considers the freedom of art and artists to express their emotions his greatest wish and concern. He firmly rejects anything that restricts art, arguing that any single, rigid idea of painting remains trapped within a frozen, backward, and reactionary framework of thought. For him, today’s artist requires a fresh perspective and a renewed relationship with the surrounding world, supported by a technique that aligns with this vision. He maintains that one must free oneself so that the eyes and gaze may lead the way, rather than becoming confined to a predetermined style or technique. He calls on us to trust our eyes, not merely our hands—echoing Cézanne’s insight that “Painting is, above all, a gaze. The subjects of our art are found in what our eyes perceive.” Gatmiri also believes that “social progress in a transitional society will only take shape and move forward when its artists are free to express and present their art, and when they are met with respect and admiration.”