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Kamran Tabatabai Diba, born in 1936 in Tehran, is an architect, urban planner, and modernist painter. He is the founder of the engineering and urban planning firm DAZ and is recognized as one of the leading figures in contemporary Iranian architecture. His approach emphasizes the connection between architecture and human social needs, developing a concept known as “human-centered architecture,” which focuses on the interaction of structures with cultural and climatic contexts as well as the lived experience of their users. Diba began his architectural studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1956, and after earning his degree in 1964, he pursued further studies in sociology. At the same time, he actively engaged in the visual arts, holding his first solo exhibition at Galerie Realité in Washington and participating in the Venice Biennale that same year. After returning to Iran and establishing DAZ, he designed landmark projects including the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Niavaran Cultural Center, Shafagh Park, and the New Shushtar urban plan, which was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. As a painter, Diba has also created works influenced by social concerns within the visual arts, reflecting the human-centered principles central to his architectural philosophy.
Resume
Born: 1936, Tehran, Iran
Education
1963 – Graduated in Architecture and Urban Planning, Howard University,
Washington, D.C., USA
Solo Exhibitions
1963 – Galerie Realité, Washington, USA
1967 – Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran
1975 – Zand Gallery, Tehran
2007 – Av Gallery, Tehran
2008 – XV.A Gallery, Dubai
2010 – Mah Gallery, Tehran
2012 – Etemad Gallery, Dubai
2014 – "Clippings from Newspapers," Aran Gallery, Tehran
2015 – "A Garden Between Two Streets," Aran Gallery, Tehran
2023 – "Broken," Bavan Gallery, Tehran
Group Exhibitions
1962 – Corcoran Gallery, Washington, USA
1965 – Paris Biennale, France
2015 – "A Little More," Aran Projects Gallery, Tehran
2018 – "Poems on Scaffolding," Saye Gallery, Tehran
2018 – "Survivors of Tehran’s Identity," Tir Art Week, Tehran
2021 – "Things I Like Very Much," The Lodge, Los Angeles
2021 – "Something Blue," Ab Anbar Gallery, London
2021 – "Modernisms," NYUAD Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi
2024 – "Long Tale," Bavan Gallery, Dubai
2024 – "Collector," Artibition Gallery, Tehran
Biennials & Art Fairs
1964 – Venice Biennale
2021 – Asia Now, Paris, presented by Aran Gallery
2022 – Art Fair, Art Fair Milan, presented by Nian Gallery
2023 – Contemporary Istanbul, presented by Bavan Gallery
2025 – MON Art Fair, Paris, presented by Bavan Gallery
Selected Architectural Projects
1966 – Designer and architect, Shafagh Park (Yusef Abad Garden), Tehran
1968 – Designer and architect, Shahid Chamran University (Jundi-Shapur), Ahvaz
1969 – Designer and architect, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1970 – Designer and architect, Niavaran Cultural Center and Garden, Tehran
1971 – Designer and architect, Prayer Hall, Carpet Museum of Iran, Tehran
1974 – Director and founder, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
