Mokarameh Ghanbari

Makrameh Ghanbari is a self-taught painter, born in 1928 in Babol, Iran. She was the mother of nine children and worked in her village as a tailor, hairdresser, midwife, and healer. At the age of 67, when her beloved cow fell ill and her children decided to sell it, Makrameh turned to painting as a way to cope with her emotions. Illiterate and without any formal training, she began creating remarkable images, covering the walls of her house and anything she could find with color and patterns, until one of her sons bought her paint and paper. From that day until her death in 2005, Makrameh painted tirelessly. Her entire home is filled with works that tell stories drawn from texts such as the Quran, the Bible, and her own life. Makrameh’s first exhibition was held in 1995 at Seyhoun Gallery. Her works have since been exhibited in Los Angeles, Homa Gallery, Dey Gallery, Eivan Gallery, and others, and several pieces have been sold at the Tehran Auction. In 2001, she was honored as the Painter of the Year in Sweden. Her art is classified within outsider art, at the intersection of naïve art, folk art, and popular surrealism.