Maryam Ashkanian

Up until now all of her exhibited works have been embodiments of the desires, fears, and sufferings of humankind today. Delicate yet bold and daring volumes of fabric (the closest resembling material to human flesh when sewn together), frame a historical body; the narrator of a wandering, scarred, and helpless creature, passing through the path of no return.
In 2010, Ashkanian was the recipient of the New Iranian Generation Award and since then her works have been exhibited at eight local and international solo shows including exhibitions at the Etemad Gallery in Tehran, Daniel Raphael Gallery in London, Air Institute in Antwerp, G. Homa Gallery in Tehran and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Geneva and group exhibitions in Art Dubai, Art 14 London, Textile Biennale Rijswik Holland, Art Asia Miami, Salsali Museum, Steuerpunk Gallery Munich. Ashkanian has also been invited to several artist-in-residence programs in Belgium, Nepal, and Switzerland.

Born in 1988 in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran.

Education:
2012 Bachelor of Art in painting, Art Faculty of Gilan University, Rasht, Gilan, Iran 
2008 Post Diploma of Art in Graphic Design, Ostad Moeen College, Rasht, Gilan, Iran 
2006 Diploma of Art in Graphic Design, Plastic Art School, Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran

Solo Exhibitions:
2021 ” Vomit ” Etemad Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2016 ” Mutation ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2016 ” Sleeping Series ” Pedrami Art gallery (Antwerp, Belgium) 
2015 ” 3 ” Air Antwerpen (Antwerp, Belgium)
2014 ” Sleep ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2013 ” Stop ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2012 ” Epitome ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2011 ” Untitled ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2022 ” Zero Waste ” 11Th Annual of Contemporary Art, Persbook, Iranshahr Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2021 ” Now ” Evan Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2021 ” Group Show ” In Collaboration with Etemad Gallery at Hasht Cheshmeh Art Space (Kashan, Iran)
2021 ” Atchom Exhibition 21.1 ” Atchom Art Gallery (Gothenburg, Sweden)
2020 “Grounded “Daniel Raphael Art Gallery (London, UK)
2019 “The new Portrait” Stoerpunkt Art Gallery (Munich, Germany)
2019 “To Remember” Siddhartha Art Gallery (Kathmandu, Nepal)
2019 ” The Taste of Life ” Evan Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2018 “Identity Crisis “4th Va Lifestyle Art & Fashion exhibition Ava Arts Levels Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2018 ” Summer Collection ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2018 ” Stitch ” Daniel Raphael Art Gallery (London, UK)
2018 “Mind & Sensation ” Mellat Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2017 ” Anything But Decorative ” Stoerpunkt Art Gallery (Munich, Germany)
2017 “Rijswijk Museum Textile Biennial (Rijswijk, Netherland)
2017 ” Hole ” Fereshteh Art gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2017 ” Pair ” Knack Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2016 ” The possibility of the event “An Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2016 ” Summer Collection ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2016 “Sew+ Zan “Azad Art gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2015 ” Looking for Happiness ” Pedrami Gallery (Antwerp, Belgium)
2015 ” International Emerging Artists Award ” Sofitel Hotel Jumeirah Beach (Dubai, UAE)
2015 “Drawing Week 3 “Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2015 ” Perception ” Edinburg Iranian Festival in summer hall (Edinburgh, UK)
2014 ” Thread ” Total Arts at Courtyard (Dubai, UAE)
2014 ” Art14 London ” Austin Desmond Fine Art (Meshkati Fine Art) Olympia Grand Hall (London, England)
2013 ” UNEXPOSED ” 40 Women Artists from Iran in Ethnographic Museum (Warsaw, Poland) 
2013 ” UNEXPOSED ” 40 Women Artists from Iran in Cacoyannis Foundation (Athens, Greek) 
2013 ” Drawing Week1 ” Homa Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2012 “EXPANDING WORLDS “Endjavi-Barbé Art Projects, in Batiment d’Art Contemporain (BAC) (Switzerland, Geneva)
2012 “UNEXPOSED “40 Women Artists from Iran in Tour &Taxis (Brussels, Belgium)
2012 ” MAGIC OF PERSIA ” in Salsali Private Museum (Dubai, UAE)
2012 ” ART DUBAI ” Gallery Kashya Hildebrand
2012 ” HAFT NEGAH ” The Fifth Greatest Art Show of the Year in Niavaran Cultural Center (Tehran, Iran)
2011 “ART ASIA Miami”, Gallery Kashya Hildebrand
2011 “100 Works 100 Artists” in Golestan Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2011 “In Memory of the Master” in “Ou” Art Gallery (Rasht, Iran)
2011 “Iran for Japan” (Tehran, Iran)
2010 “33” in Art Center Gallery (Tehran, Iran)
2010 Fifth Selected Fair of NaslNow (New Generation) in Mellat Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran) 
2009 Fourth Selected Fair of NaslNow (New Generation) in Mellat Art Gallery (Tehran, Iran)

Art Residencies:
2019 Space A residency program (Kathmandu, Nepal)
2015 AIR Antwerpen residency (Antwerp, Belgium)
2014 Artists proposals (Sculpture) in context with Michael Chaplin’s stories, Matthew Garret Foundation, British Council, Tyne Voyage (South Shield, England)
2012 The Geneva Council Travel and Residence Award (Geneva, Switzerland)

Publications:
2019 SZ Magazine (Munich, Germany)
2019 Urban Nation (Berlin, Germany)
2018 Fad Magazine (London, UK)
2017 Colossal News & Media Website (Chicago, Illinois) 2017 Focus Magazine (Milan, Italy)
2017 Creators Project (New York, USA)
2017 Ignant Magazine (Berlin, Germany)
2017 Juxtapoz Magazine (San Francisco, California)
2017 Design Milk (New York, USA)
2017 Crane TV Video Magazine
2017 Art TV (Istanbul, Turkey)
2017 Ghab Magazine (Tehran, Iran)
2017 Mai Magazine (Berlin, Germany)
2017 Avant Arte Magazine
2017 Journal du Design (Paris, France)
2016 Art Cube (London, UK)
2016 Tandis Magazine (Tehran, Iran)
2015 Iran & Belgium Exchange program book (Tehran, Iran)
2013 Tandis Magazine (Tehran, Iran)

Prizes, Grants, Awards:
2017 Selected Artist for Rijswijk Textile Biennial (Rijswijk, Netherland)
2015 Selected Artist for IEAA’s (International emerging Artist Award) 4th award edition (Dubai, UAE)
2015 Selected Artist in Edinburg Iranian Festival in summer hall (Edinburgh, UK)
2014 The Biennial of the Frontiers in Tamaulipas Museum of Contemporary Art (Mexico)
2014 The 3rdInternational Emerging Artist Award (Dubai, UAE)
2013 The 2ndInternational Emerging Artist Award (Dubai, UAE)
2012 The Dubai Council Travel and Residence Award (Magic of Persia) (Dubai, UAE) 2011 The winner of the First Sand Sculpture Festival (Gilan, Iran)
2010 The winner of the Special Prize of Parviz Maleki in the Fifth Selected Fair of NaslNow (New Generation) (Tehran, Iran)
2009 The selected participant of the Regional Drawing Festival of Guilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan Provinces (Guilan, Iran)

Occupation:
2020 Co-Founder and Manager at Choom Art Gallery (Bandar-e-Anzali, Iran) 
2014 Art Manager of 1st National Illustration Festival “The Port in Fog” (Bandar-e-Anzali, Iran) 2013 Art Manager of 2nd National Illustration Festival “The Port in Fog” (Bandar-e-Anzali, Iran)