Behzad Shishegaran, a multifaceted artist—painter, designer, graphic designer, educator, and cultural advocate—was born in Tehran in 1953 into an immigrant family. Growing up with an industrialist father, he developed a strong familiarity with technical and industrial details. However, it was his older brother, Koorosh Shishegaran, who truly introduced him to the broader world of art.

​

Shishegaran studied at the Tehran Academy of Fine Arts under renowned artists Mohammad Ebrahim Jafari, Ali Qahari, and Mahmoud Farshchian. After earning his diploma and completing military service, he spent two years studying directing at the Youth Cinema Association. In 1979, amid the revolution, he enrolled in the Faculty of Decorative Arts (now the University of Art) to study graphic design. During this period, he produced political posters, a theme that persisted in his early works. However, the revolution and subsequent cultural upheaval, including the two-year university closure and his one-year suspension, delayed his graduation until 1987.

​

In 1989, following the end of the Iran-Iraq war and the re-emergence of gallery activities, Shishegaran held his first solo exhibition, showcasing portraits of Gholamreza Takhti at "Nashreh Noghreh," managed by filmmaker Mohammad Reza Aslani and researcher Soudabeh Fadaeli. His next exhibition, with a focus on reading and writing, took place at Seyhoun Gallery in 1990. That same year, he exhibited in Vahdat Hall in response to the Rudbar earthquake.

​

Throughout his career, the influence of his graphic design studies is evident. He created over 700 portraits of cultural, artistic, and political figures from Iran and around the world, along with numerous cultural, social, and political posters, many commissioned directly by the artist.

​

Shishegaran's artistic journey continued with painting, exploring themes that oscillated between abstraction and realism. His extensive body of work includes 32 solo exhibitions and participation in numerous group exhibitions. Since 1976, he has also been active in teaching design, painting, and graphic arts, publishing the volumes "One Hundred Portraits of Jahan Pahlavan Takhti" in 1998 and 2014, serving on the Board of Directors of the Iranian Painters Association (2009–2010), and featuring in various publications worldwide.

​

In 1991, Shishegaran received the First Prize at the inaugural Biennial of Iranian Painters, and his works were featured in the Tehran auction for the first time in 2014.