MARYAM MOHI
Maryland, Tehran
Multidisciplinary artist blending acrylic, resin, and watercolor to explore memory, identity, and transformation.
Message
Maryam Mohi is an Iranian-American multidisciplinary artist based in the Washington, DC area, whose work is deeply rooted in the lived experience of immigration, cultural duality, and the quiet complexity of building a new life far from home.
Born in Iran and shaped by its rich artistic traditions, Maryam carries that visual and emotional language into every piece she creates. Her paintings in acrylic, resin, and watercolor explore what it means to exist between two worlds — to see differently, to grieve what was left behind while embracing what is being built, to hold memory and transformation in the same breath.
Her work asks questions she has lived — about belonging, identity, and the resilience required to reimagine yourself in an unfamiliar place. Layered narratives, shifting textures, and an intuitive approach to color reflect not just an artistic style, but a personal geography — the space between who you were and who you are becoming.
Now working as a full-time artist, Maryam continues to push the boundaries of her practice — blending traditional techniques with experimental materials to create visually tactile, emotionally resonant works that invite others, especially those who have ever felt between worlds, to find themselves reflected in her art.
Artist Residencies:
- Aviario Studio, Aviario, Portugal, Jan 2026 – Aviario, Portugal. Developed a new body of work centered on Light Will Defeat Darkness, exploring resilience, illumination, and collective memory.
- LA Studio Art Residency, Patton, PA, Sept 2025 – Selected for a residency program supporting emerging and established artists through dedicated studio space, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
- Nexus Art Space Virtual Residency, Sept 2025 – Participated in the themed program “Unwritten Maps: Belonging Beyond Borders,” exploring identity and belonging through virtual collaboration and creative exchange.
Exhibitions:
- "Upward Gallery, “Bizarre” Online Juried Exhibition, December 2025 Merit Award recipient in an international juried exhibition showcasing contemporary works centered on surreal and unconventional artistic expression.
- "MEAC Inaugural Gallery,” Alexandria, VA, November 2025 Participate in an art show to exhibit a new body of work with watercolor, acrylic, and resin, highlighting Middle Eastern art and culture
- "The Other Art Fair”, Dallas Market Hall, October 2023 Participated in an art show to exhibit my new body of work with watercolor, Acrylic and resin in Dallas
- "Women Life Freedom," Blue House Two Gallery, Allen,TX, 2023 Participated in a group exhibition featuring various mediums, showcasing watercolor paintings alongside other artists' in honor of “Women Life Freedom” movement in Iran
- "The 6th Annual Persian Art Exhibition," Irving Art Center, Irving, TX, 2021 Contributed watercolor artworks as part of a curated exhibition that explored the fusion of cultural influences and artistic expressions in a group exhibition.
- "61st IAA Members Juried Art Exhibition," Irving Art Center, Irving, TX, 2016 Featured a collection of landscape paintings in watercolor, celebrating the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world.
- "May Flowers," Texas Visual Arts Association, Dallas, TX, 2016 Presented watercolor paintings alongside other contemporary artists, exploring innovative techniques and themes.
- "Emerging Artists Exhibition," Irving Art Center, Irving, TX, 2015 Showcased watercolor paintings as part of a curated exhibition highlighting talented emerging artists in the region.
- "Persian Gulf", Cultural Artistic and Social Deputy, Kish, Iran, 2006 Solo Exhibition - Showcased a collection of vibrant watercolor paintings exploring the beauty and diversity of everyday life in Iran
Education:
- Art Curatorial Studies — University of Tehran, Faculty of Fine Arts · 2025, Art Curatorial Studies from Faculty of Fine Art
- University of Houston – MBA
- Sharif University of Technology – MS in Computer & Telecommunication Networks
- Sharif University of Technology – BS in Software Engineering
Memberships:
- Southwestern Watercolor Society
- Visual Art Guild of Frisco
- Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance
Press & Features:
- Monochromica — The Journal of Monochrome Art, Issue 005, 2025 Link
- Voyage Dallas, 2018 - Meet Maryam Mohi — Artist Interview Link
Statement
As a female immigrant navigating cultural shifts, my path to art has been shaped by time, transition, and lived experience. I have moved through moments of oneness, loneliness, uncertainty, and belonging — emotional states that breathe through everything I make.
My practice explores the relationship between the human figure and its surrounding environment as a way to examine change, endurance, and the ongoing search for belonging. Working primarily with acrylic, resin, and watercolor, my paintings focus on transitional states — moments of uncertainty, pause, and emergence. Light functions as a structural element within the work, emphasizing persistence, the overcoming of darkness, and the idea that sustained presence can lead toward clarity and resolution.
For much of my life, I walked a structured path — earning an MBA and an MS while keeping art quietly beside me. Those years of analytical thinking, systems, and strategy did not pull me away from art; they deepened my understanding of structure, contrast, and the tension between order and feeling. Returning fully to art was not a departure — it was a recognition of what had always been essential.
Last year I committed to a sustained studio practice and residency-based work, allowing my process to slow down and deepen. Working across locations and cultural contexts continues to shape my observation, my material choices, and my belief that the most resonant work grows from the intersection of research and raw lived experience.