Born in 1977 in Iran, Negar Farajiani was raised in the ancient city of Yazd, where the desert's profound influence on life and thought shaped her artistic journey. This connection between her artistic practice and the natural environment became a defining feature of her work.
Over the years, the omnipresent phenomenon of the desert continuously shaped and contributed to Negar's artistic practice. It seamlessly integrated elements of the natural world into the framework of her work. Her career began with a focus on design projects and painting, gradually evolving towards breaking down the boundaries between personal and inter-relational art. This exploration delves into the interplay between individual expression and the broader societal system.
Negar's attention has shifted progressively to parts of society often deemed invisible and merely functional. These societal aspects seamlessly integrate into her artistic system. Through collaborative projects and public initiatives, she challenges predominant views, presenting a different perspective in society. Her projects are not only collaborative but also function as a dynamic system within the realm of art theory. They involve those who inspired the idea, fellow artists, and contributors, creating a cohesive narrative.
Believing firmly in the power of dialogue, Negar acknowledges its pivotal role in the art system. Eager to further develop her skills in critical thinking and practice, she uses art as a tool to address social, educational, environmental, political, and gender/identity-related issues. Through collaborative projects, Negar aims to create a more inclusive portrayal, offering a collage of different daily truths within the broader system of societal discourse.
As a multidisciplinary artist and curator, Negar Farajiani actively contributes to the interconnected web of the art system. Her diverse projects encompass photography, video, sculptures, performances, installations, educational programs, publications, and the creation of novel platforms for engaging in dialogue, collaboration, and communication in both public and private spaces. Playing with the concept of space, both private and public, she creates a dynamic system of artistic expression. One of the few artists in Iran to create public artworks, Negar contributes significantly to the broader artistic conversation within the national and international art system. Her practices, presented domestically and internationally through exhibitions and lectures, serve as nodes in the larger network of the art system, connecting diverse cultural spaces and perspectives. Recent appearances and exhibitions hosted by various international venues have further expanded the reach of her artistic practices, showcasing the interconnectedness of her work within the global art discourse.
Educational Background
MFA Candidate at the University of California Santa Barbara, CA 2025
BA. Visual Communication in Art University in Tehran, Iran 2001
Diploma in Fine Art, High School for Girls, Yazd 1995
Solo Exhibitions
2024. Lively Narratives, GlassBox Gallery. UC Santa Barbara, US
2023. An Interweaving Interplay, GlassBox Gallery. UC Santa Barbara, US
2023. Gather and Graft. Electric Room. Tehran, Iran
2022. Behind the Curtains. Hamzianpour and Kia Gallery. Los Angeles, US
2021. Tattered Masterpieces. Inja Gallery. Tehran, Iran
2018. Tehran Monoxide Project. Silk Road Gallery. Tehran, Iran
2015. Mix and Match. Etemad Art Gallery. Tehran, Iran
2014. VIVACITY. Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. Seattle, US
2012. MIX & UNMATCH. Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. Seattle, US
2012. UNDO. Sazmanab Project. Tehran, Iran
2011. Insect's March. Etemad Art Gallery. Tehran, Iran
2007. Untitled. Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2004. Untitled. Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2002. Untitled. Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
Group Exhibitions
2024. Cypress Eternally Unbound, Hinterland, Vienna, Austria
2023. Cypress Eternally Unbound, Fiuz Gallery, Kashan, Iran
2023. Glass Box Gallery, UC Santa Barbara, US
2023. Another Birth, The Mine, Dubai, UAE
2022. Shaped, Yafteh Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2021. Sand Storm-And Then There Was Dust, Galerie im Körnerpark Berlin, Germany
2021. Artissima Art Fair by Inja Gallery, Turin, Italy
2021. Green Parcels, San Francisco Arts Ed Project (sfartsed), San Francisco, US
2021 The 8th edition of Tehran's National Sculpture Biennale, Tehran, Iran
2020 Sand Storm-And Then There Was Dust, Depo Istanbul, Turkey
2020 Triptych, Apexart, Tehran, Iran
2019 Tehran Book Fair, Tehran, Iran
2019 Hyrcanian Forest, Persbook9th, Mazandaran, Iran
2018 Retexture, Persbook8th, Yazd, Iran
2017 Artissima Art Fair by Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Turin, Italy
2016 Flânerie, Kaaf institute, Tehran, Iran
2015 Enqelab Street, ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, Berlin, Germany
2015 DUST, Center for Contemprary Art at Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland
2014 Breath From A Warm Local(film & video & more), Gent, Belgium
2014 Iranian Artist Forum in Tehran, A Review of a Decade of Video Art in Iran, Tehran, Iran
2013 Royal College of Art, Magic of Persia, London, UK
2013 York Quay Gallery, The Third Space, Toronto,Ontario- Canada
2013 CCA-Tbilisi, SubTehran:Subjective truth from Iran, Tbilisi, Georgia 2013 Don Quixote, Aun Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2013 Tehran Calling London / London Calling Tehran, London, UK
2013 Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize shortlist exhibition 2013, EFT-DIFC, Dubai, UAE
2012 M.I.A Gallery, Encor, Seattle, WA, USA Sareban Gallery, Void, Tehran, Iran
2011 Parkinggallery, On Paper; Without A Name, Tehran, Iran
2011The invisible present video Program at Oi Futuro, public project by Factory\\\'s Garden, Rio, Brazil
2011 The second Contemporary art Exhibition, Sanandaj, Iran
2011 Mohsen Art Gallery, representation of factory’s Garden, Tehran, Iran
2011 Etemad Art Gallery, 13 x 18 ,Tehran, Iran
2010 Exhibition for Charity (Khaneh Khorshid), Tehran, Iran
2009 Iranian Arts Forum, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2008 Dar-ol-Fonoon Gallery, Painting Exhibition for Charity, Kuwait
2007 Art Space Gallery, New Trend of Iranian Painting, Collected Memories, London, UK
2007 Iran Heritage, an Exhibition of Contemporary of Iranian Arts, London, UK
2007 Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2007 Iranian Arts Forum, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2007 Baran Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2006 Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran 2005 China Expo, Beijing, China
2006 Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2004 Assar Art Gallery, Painting Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2000 Museum of Contemporary of Art, Self-Promotional Posters Exhibition, Tehran, Iran 1999 Children Book Illustration, Noma, Japan
2000 Museum of Contemporary Art, Children's Book Illustration Exhibition, Tehran, Iran
1995 Fine Art School, Painting Exhibition, Yazd, Iran
Curating and Socially Engaged Art Projects
Gather And Graft
2024 Gather And Graft workshop, UC Santa Barbara Library in collaboration with AD&D Museum, CA, US
2023 Gather And Graft, Electric Room, Tehran, Iran
-Tehran Monoxide Project
2020 Green Corners virtual workshop, schools in Tehran/ Iran
2020 Green Corners workshop at schools in Tehran/ Iran
2019 Green Corners workshop in Darzikola/Mazandaran, Iran
2019 Green Corenrs workshop in Bam, Iran
2019 Green Corners workshop in Book Garden in Tehran/ Iran
2019 Green Corenrs workshop at schools in Tehran, Iran
2018 Green Corenrs workshop at schools and insitutes in Tehran, Iran
2017 Introducing Green Corners Project in Kaaf Institute, Tehran, Iran
2015 Selling indoor plants in sidewalk of Enqelab Street in downtown, Tehran, Iran
2015 In Negarestan Garden and the Greenhouse، Tehran, Iran
2014 In Zohre No Pharmacy with 11 photographers, Tehran, Iran
2012 Photos from 4-to-18 years olds view point, Tehran, Iran
2011 In Manzoumeh Kherad School with 36 Artists, Tehran, Iran
- Made in China
2018 in University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, US
2017 in Azadi Square, Tehran, Iran
2015 in Down Town Seattle, Seattle Art Fair, US
2015 in University of Oregon, Oregon, US
2015 in University of Irvine, CA, US
2014 in Downtown Chicago, US
2013 in Electricity Factory, Teblisi, Georgia
2013 in Downtown Rustavi, Georgia
2013 in Downtown, Toronto, Canada
2012 in DIFC, Dubai, UAE
2011 in Abandoned Spinning Factory, Yazd, Iran
- Destination Known
2013 Shar-Bafi, Kashan, Iran
2011 Factory’s Garden, Yazd. Iran
Lectures, Publications, and Other Activities
2023 Imagining America National Gathering, Rohde Island, US
2022 Book Lunch published “Tehran Monoxide”, the Jordan Center for Persian Studies UC Irvine, US
2020 Virtual Workshop, Triptych, Apexart, NY
2018 Artist Talk/ Yale University Macmillan Center: The Role of Art Projects in the Evolution of Social Participation in Public Space, New Haven
2018 Artist talk/ Umassd: "Social Practice and Eco-art in the desert towns of Iran" and "Air Pollution and Art Activism in Tehran", Massachusetts
2017 Collaboration in project "La Petite Histoire" Project by Michela Alessandrini in Collaboration with PAPPIS-Art- Anecdotes Archive- Magic of Persia, London, UK
2017 Part of the Lecture "Eco Art in Iran" Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
2016 Part of Lecture in Yazd Municipality: Role of Art Projects in Private and Public Spaces, Yazd and Tehran, Iran
2015 Out of Site Artist Conversation: Placement and Displacement, Pasfarda joins hands with Out of Site Chicago to discuss works of contemporary performance artists, Moderated by Tricia Van Eck, Tehran-Chicago
2015 Site specific installation in cooperation with Komuna//Warszawa, Liquid Columns a part of DUNE 1961, Yazd, Iran
2015 Artist talk, UCIrvine about Made in China Public art Project, California
2015 Cheryll and Richard Ruszat Scholar at the Jordan Center for Persian Studies. This award supports the study of Iranian cinema and art at UCI.
2013 Short list of Magic of Persia, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2012 part of the lecture "Written in Light" about women artists from Iran in SAM (Seattle Art Museum), the presence of the Centre Pompidou for the special exhibition “Elles: Women Artists”, Seattle, USA
2007 Public art project, Flight of Falcons / Yashm,Firouzeh, ArtWorks project, Dubai, UAE
2006 Public art project, Horses / MIM, ArtWorks project, Dubai, UAE
2002 Book Illustration, Kalateh-Nan and Baran, Mahriz Publication, Tehran, Iran
1999 Animation, Cooperation in Mahriz Mehr Firm and Saba Company, Tehran, Iran