On view: November 1 - December 14, 2025
Maryam Safajoo
Her paintings narrate the stories of the contemporary situation of the systematic persecution of the Iranian Baha’i community after the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Safajoo's paintings narrate these stories which are a result of her conversations and interviews with the people who were near or in these actual events. Many of the incidents she depicts only exist in the memory of those who experienced them and have no pictorial existence. In many cases if visual records did exist, they have been confiscated by the Iranian authorities in raids of homes. Her depictions are often the first time these events have taken visual form. She records the details of this history. For example, the shoes, clothes, artifacts, and environments seen in her paintings are very close to those that were there in the event.
Her works are academic in nature and all these paintings are based on qualitative interviews or archival research. It could even be looked at as a form of visual ethnography which captures experiences of an entire community which have had no prior visual existence.
Safajoo has exhibited her work at venues including The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, Museum of Vancouver in Canada, The Massachusetts State House, International Peace Museum in Dayton, OH, Albany Museum of Art in Georgia, NIU Art Museum in Illinois, Crary Art Gallery, a Nonprofit Art Museum, and will be exhibiting at Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago, The Museo dos Correios de Brasilia in Brazil, Palace Museum of Mexico City in Mexico, Evanston Art Center in Illinois as well as Monongalia Arts Center in Morgantown, West Virginia. She is a two-time recipient of the Merit award from the Pinacothèque Art Museum in Luxembourg, The Romero Award, “Stories From My Childhood” best in show award from Northern Illinois University Art Museum; She presented at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and her remarks at the AJC Boston Diplomats Seder was adapted by Boston Herald into an article. Her work has recently been featured by IranWire, Tavaana, PersianBMS, Radio Farda, Nashraasoo, VOA, Mass General Hospital Global OB-GYN Newsletter and multiple times by the BBC.
Her works are part of the permanent collections of
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
Dayton International Peace Museum, Dayton, OH
Albany Museum of Art, Albany, GA
NIU Art Museum, IL
Crary Art Gallery, a Nonprofit Art Museum, PA
The Museo dos Correios de Brasilia, Brazil
Palace Museum of Mexico City, Mexico
And many other private collections.
GALLERY HOURS & VISITOR INFORMATION
This exhibition will be held in the Second Floor Gallery of the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Masks are optional but strongly recommended for students, visitors and staff.
Gallery Hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–6pm
Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday–Sunday: 9am–4pm
HOW TO PURCHASE ARTWORK
Artwork sale proceeds benefit both the artist and the Evanston Art Center. If you are interested in purchasing artwork on display, please contact Emma Rose Gudewicz, Director of Development and Exhibition Manager, at [email protected] or (847) 475-5300 x 102.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.