Cyrus Afsary studied art under the strict discipline of the Russian Realists’ style of painting, graduating with two degrees – one in fine art and the other in interior design. Afsary began selling portrait commissions in his teens. This education has led him to paint a wide array of subjects, winning him many awards.

Known for lush still lifes, landscapes and portraits in oil, he also works in watercolor and pastel. In the early 1980s, he attracted attention as an artist who loved the Southwest. He uses his strong technical skills when placing the colors and values in each piece, while adding something more tangible with each brush stroke.

He was the first artist to receive the coveted Robert Lougheed Memorial Award, chosen by the participating artists for their favorite display of three or more works in the show, at the 1988 Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition.