Rana Farnoud

Rana Farnoud

Rana Farnoud, a contemporary painter, was born in 1953 in Mashhad, Iran. She began her artistic journey with realistic representation and gradually moved toward expressive abstraction. From 1958, she studied at the School of Fine Arts in Tehran and later spent some time in the United States studying sociology. After returning to Iran, she pursued a B.A. in English at the Advanced School of Translation from 1972 to 1976. Following ten years of residence in Torbat-e Jam, Farnoud held her first solo exhibition in 1988 at Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran. Over the years, her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Iran and internationally, including France and the United States. She has also participated in several exhibitions with the DENA Iranian Women Artists group. Her artistic style has evolved through various phases, including photorealism, semi-abstract compositions with geometric forms, and the free expression of inner states through color and line. Farnoud’s works often reflect her dreams and personal memories through both regular and irregular geometric arrangements. Some of her notable works include Tsunami, Love in the Desert, On the Threshold of Grey, and Yadgar. Rana Farnoud is a member of the DENA Iranian Women Artists group and the Association of Iranian Painters (AIP). In addition to her artistic practice, she has served as a juror and advisor for several exhibitions, including the Versus Biennial for Young Artists (2013), the 4th Damonfar Biennial for artists under 25 (2012), and the 6th Painting Biennial of Tehran (2003).

Resume

Solo exhibitions

2018 Emkan Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2016 Emkan Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2014 Etemad Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2010 Etemad Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2003 Golestan Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2001-2000 Le Rayon Vert Gallery, Nantes, France
2000 Aria Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1999 Aria Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1997 Atelier Alain Le Bras, Invited by the 14th Women’s Film Festival, Nantes,
France
1996 Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1993 Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1989 Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, Iran

Group exhibitions
2024 Zaal Gallery, Toronto “Soft Edge of the Blade”
2024 Art Dubai
2023 Art Abu Dhabi
2023 Art Istanbul
2023 Aljamil Museum, “Ave Collection”
2023 plus2, Tehran “in Memory of Dena”
2019 Emkan Gallery, Tehran
2018 Emkan Gallery, Tehran
2017 Emkan Gallery, Tehran
2016 O Gallery, Tehran “Image of Self”
2015 Total Art, Dubai, UAE
2011 Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
2007 Art London, London, England
2003-2001 Traveling exhibition, “A Breeze from the Gardens of Persia, New Art
from Iran,” Meridian International Center, Washington DC, New York, Belleville
Illinois, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Texas, Florida USA

2000 International Art Expo, New York, USA
1997 9th Triennial of Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India
1997 China Art Expo, Peking, China
1990 Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran

DENA group exhibitions
2005 Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany
2004 Liu-Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2003 Hubei Art Museum, Wuhan, China
2003 Yan-Huang Art Museum, Beijing, China
2003 Kokkola Museum, Kokkola, Finland
2003 The Parliament building of the European Union, Brussels, Belgium
2002 Vigado Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2002 United Nations building, Geneva, Switzerland

Memberships
DENA Iranian Women Artists, since 2001
AIP Association of Iranian Painters, since 2001

Other professional activities
2013 Jury for the Versus Biennial for Young Artists
2012 Jury for the 4th Damonfar Biennial for Young Artists (under 25 years)
2003 Jury and advisor for the 6th Painting Biennial of Tehran