Mohasses died on July 28, 2010, in Rome, Italy at the age of 79. “Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, Mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homeland—revered by elites in the art scene and praised as a national icon, only to be censored later by an oppressive regime. Known for his iconoclastic art as well as his scathing declarations, Mohasses abandoned the country over 30 years ago for a simple, secluded life in Italy.”
Mohasses, unlike many of his contemporaries, did not make references to Persian artistic traditions and had a modern outlook. His paintings and sculptures depicted mythical Minotaurs and creatures out of nightmares in vast deserts of hopelessness.In 2013, Persian-born filmmaker Mitra Farahani wrote and directed the documentary, Fifi Howls from Happiness (original title: Fifi az khoshhali zooze mikeshad), based on an interview with Mohasses in his secluded hotel room. Ending abruptly with Mohasses succumbing literally on camera to lung cancer, the film explores the enigma of this provocative artist and presents a “final biography in his own words and on his terms.”
