Arash Akhgari was born in 1984 in Tehran, Iran. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Tehran University in Mechanical Engineering. In 2008, he moved to Victoria, BC, to continue onto graduate studies, and received his Master’s degree in Engineering in 2011. During his high school years, he began drawing cartoons as a hobby. At the age of 18, he received his first formal training in drawing at Tehran’s prestigious House of Cartoons, which marked his more serious outlook towards drawing. As an undergraduate student, Arash received mentorship in figurative drawing and painting. Upon moving to Canada, he continued his art through self-training and participation in drop-in drawing lessons in Victoria. In this period, he also began to paint more seriously. He exhibited a selection of his paintings for the first time at Penelope’s Cafe in Victoria during the months of February and March in 2011. He entered the Victoria Emerging Award Show and won first prize. He exhibited his paintings in a group art show at the Victoria Emerging Art Gallery in April 2011. Aside from his work as an engineer, Arash is seriously pursuing art. He has recently moved to Toronto ON to pursue art.