“I’m drawn to the space between the known and the unknown, and color opens the path.”
Background
My mom told me that I started scribbling before I started talking. I believe that is why painting is the most primary method of expression for me. I was born in Tabriz, the capital city of Iranian Azerbaijan. Tabriz is the city of carpets and miniatures. As a child, I was inspired by colorful abstract motifs on rugs. I started painting at a very early age and won the “Best Young Artist” prize at age nine among the local schools. I moved to France and England during my youth. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Textile Design and a master’s degree in Digital Application Design from the University of Manchester, UK, before settling in the DC area, where I took training from the founders and followers of Washington Color School starting in the ’90s.
I have worked in various creative fields throughout my career. As a fabric designer, graphic designer, art director, and currently a full-time artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center (Studio 5), I’ve solely relied on the fine arts and my continuous painting process as a solid ground for creative development. Painting is my livelihood, as well as a foundation for my professional life.
I consider myself more of a colorist. For me, color is everything. Color comes before shape and form. It creates space, dimension, and—most importantly—feelings.
Artist Statement and Process
We humans view the world through a limited spectrum. But what if we had compound eyes like insects, sonar like dolphins, or even used scent to perceive our surroundings? I’m drawn to the space between the known and the unknown. Art is a doorway to the subconscious, and color opens the path. My artistic process is a journey through the colors that occur to my eyes, as composers would hear the notes in their ears. The process is spontaneous. It happens outside of the realm of self and intellect. Forms come in to represent the colors. More than an artist, I consider myself a medium to provide the observer (including myself) access to the unknown or the forgotten. My art is successful only when viewers see their story in it and connect to the self and the universe through it. Listening to what others see in my paintings, I am continually surprised by our shared collective memory.
Recent Awards and Recognitions
May 2025—Juror’s Award by Dr. Margaret A. Weitekamp, Curator of the National Air and Space Museum, for the Imaginary Worlds Exhibit at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center (the Smithsonian)
May 2025—Selected as the featured artist for the McLean Project for the Arts Spring Benefit fundraiser
April 2025—Collection selected for and sold at the WPA Annual Auction Gala
March 2025—Featured on the cover of Capitol Hill’s HillRag Magazine
January 2025—Recognized as one of the 51 artists who have shaped, inspired, and impacted the dynamic cultural scene of Washington, DC
November 2024—Collection selected for and sold at the Transformer’s Annual Auction Gala
October 2024—Collection selected for and sold at the Hickok Cole Annual Art Auction
April 2024—Selected for Washington Project for the Arts Annual Auction Gala
January 2024—Best in Show Award by Amy Cavanaugh, juror of the 2024 Regional Juried Exhibition at Hill Center, DC
January 2024—Honorable Mention Award by Jorge Alberto, juror of the Still Life Exhibit at The Art League, Alexandria, VA
January 2024—Second Place Award by Van Landingham Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, VA
December 2023—Honorable Mention Award by David Culpepper, juror of the open exhibit at The Art League, Alexandria, VA
November 2023—The Art League Award for Best in Show by Chelsey Luster, juror of the open exhibit at The Art League, Alexandria, VA
August 2023—Best in Show Award by Van Landingham Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, VA
January 2023—Selected as an honorary participant of Van Landingham Gallery by the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association, Alexandria, VA
2022—Awarded with Honorable Mention by Eliot Dudik, the juror of the Art League’s May 2022 Open Exhibit for "Rainessance”
2022—Awarded with Honorable Mention by Amber Cowan, the juror of the Art League’s August 2022 Open Exhibit for “Enigma”
2020—Selected for 2021 Solo Show by The Art League, Alexandria, VA
October 2020—Awarded with Honorable Mention by Raymond Padron, the juror of the Art League’s October 2020 Open Exhibit for "Bosons"
April 2020—Selected by Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) for its prestigious Annual Auction Gala
December 2019—The Art League Best in Show Award, The Art League, Alexandria, VA > READ INTERVIEW >
June 2018—Anne Banks Award for Best in Show by The Art League, Alexandria, VA > READ INTERVIEW >
April 2018—Equal Merit Award by The Art League, Alexandria, VA
April 2018—Selected by WPA for its Annual Auction Gala
March 2015—Evelyn Turner Best of the Show Award for Abstraction by The Art League in 2015 > READ INTERVIEW >
January 2011—Selected by Karabakh Foundation for a solo show at the PEPCO Edison Gallery, DC 2011
Exhibits
I actively show my work in the UK and US at art fairs, solo shows, and group shows. My works are regularly selected and awarded by distinguished local and International jurors with a solid presence in Artsy. Please see Shows for current, upcoming, and past recent shows.
Education and Training
Master’s in Digital Application Design for Textiles, The University of Manchester, UK, 1987
Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and Textiles, The University of Manchester, UK, 1984
Abstract Art, Training by Sam Gilliam 1993-1995 by and courses by Beverly Ryan and other instructors, The Art League, Alexandria, VA 2009-2023