Click on images for full view. Artist Bio follows image gallery.
Saeid will be exhibiting at EXPO during the second session: February 18 through March 28.
Saeid Gholibeik is a painter and scratchboard artist whose work is inspired by a life journey spanning East and West, across different cultures with over 45 years of dedicated practice.
Throughout his career, he built an extensive exhibition record across the West Coast. His work has been featured in Beverly Hills Art Shows, Laguna Beach Art A Fair, San Diego Mission Fed Artwalk, San Diego Artwalk Liberty Station, San Diego Artwalk Carlsbad, La Jolla Art Show, La Quinta Art Celebration, Calabasas Art Show.
Saeid was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1959, where he enjoyed a beautiful childhood that remains close to his heart. At sixteen, he left Iran on his own to continue his education in the United Kingdom. Being immersed in an unfamiliar country at such a young age challenged him to adapt to a new language, culture, and way of life, an experience that would profoundly shape the way he sees the world.
While in the United Kingdom, He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering and pursued his interest in art, receiving an artistic certification before eventually returning to Iran. His journey later took him to Austria, where he once again found himself learning a new language and adapting to a different culture. He fell in love with the beauty of the country and the warmth of its people. Each new place introduced him to different ways of living and deepened his appreciation for both the diversity and shared humanity found across cultures.
In 1985, he had the opportunity to immigrate to the United States and make Los Angeles his home. Here, he built a life and a family while working as a small-business owner and real estate broker. Years later, he rediscovered his passion for art and returned to the creative expression that had always remained a part of him.
His life experiences have become the foundation of his artistic perspective. In a world filled with complexity and struggle, he chooses to focus on the beauty, joy, and wonder that surrounds us. He draws inspiration from the many cultures he has encountered and from the kindness and support he experienced while navigating unfamiliar places and uncertain times.
Nature and wildlife are among its greatest sources of inspiration, as is the innocence and imagination of children. To him, both possess a purity that can easily be overlooked in the noise of everyday life. They serve as an emotional compass for his creative process, guiding what he draws, scratch, etch, and paint. Through his work, he hopes to celebrate the gifts life has given us and share a sense of beauty, curiosity, and joy with others.
About His Scratchboard Art
All the works he is presenting in this exhibition are created using scratchboard and coloring, a technique that combines drawing, carving, etching, and painting. The pieces in this show feature subjects including brown bears, cranes, koi fish, an eagle, a rising phoenix, dragon and more.
Each piece begins on a black-coated white clay board. He first sketches the image onto the dark surface using a white chalk pencil. He then carefully carves and etch into the board using scalpels and specialized etching tools, removing the black surface to reveal the white clay beneath. This process is known as a subtractive medium, because the image emerges through the removal of material rather than solely through the addition of paint.
Once the etched image has taken shape, He introduces color using India ink and acrylic paint, gradually building depth, texture, and detail layer by layer. The process requires patience and precision, but it allows me to create the contrast and intricate detail that makes scratchboard such a unique medium.
Ultimately, each piece is an extension of the experiences, cultures, people, and natural beauty that have shaped his life. Through his art, he hopes to invite others to pause for a moment and rediscover some of the beauty and wonder that exists all around us.