Distinguished Iranian author, poet, and art critic Javad Mojabi has passed away at the age of 87 following an extended illness. His death marks a significant loss for contemporary Iranian literature, visual culture, and art criticism. Consequently, cultural institutions across Iran have recognized his major contributions to modern literary journalism, satire, and art research.
Born in Qazvin in 1939, Mojabi began his creative career during the cultural movements of the early 1960s. He earned an undergraduate degree in law and a doctorate in economics from the University of Tehran. However, he chose to dedicate his professional life to literature, journalism, and art research.
Mojabi worked as a senior cultural journalist for Ettelaat newspaper from the mid-1960s until 1979. In 1965, he published his debut poetry collection, A Season for You, at the age of 25. The publication marked his entry into Iran’s prominent intellectual and literary circles.
Throughout his six-decade career, Mojabi authored more than 50 books across various literary and scholarly fields. His bibliography includes novels such as Night of the Locusts, City Bound, and The Downhill Violets. He also produced important research on the history and development of Iranian literary satire.
Mojabi established himself as a prominent figure in Iranian visual art criticism and modernist painting. Even during his final hospitalization in 2026, he presented a new art exhibition. The exhibition featured a series of original paintings titled The White Nights of the Hospital and Me.
He also authored comprehensive biographical works examining the literary careers of Ahmad Shamlou and Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi. Furthermore, he compiled extensive historical research documenting the development of modern Iranian painting. His scholarship provided an important historical framework for subsequent generations of artists and visual art critics.
Following his death, family members confirmed that no formal public memorial service would be held after his burial. Instead, his private residence will remain open for seven days to welcome artists, colleagues, and admirers. Ultimately, Mojabi’s extensive literary and artistic contributions secure his lasting place in contemporary Iranian cultural history.