Maryam Safajoo Reception Interview
On February 15th, 2025, the Chicago community gathered at the Ukrainian Institute of Art for the opening of “Our Story Is One” by Maryam Safajoo. Her painting series on the persecution of Baha’is in Iran tells a powerful story of injustice and violence, paired with hope, resilience and survival. As guests arrived at the opening reception, they were able to browse the gallery and ask Safajoo questions about her work. Followed by an artist's talk, she walked the audience through the stories behind each painting and provided a detailed history lesson on how this systematic persecution has been implemented and enforced since 1979. She emphasized that her work is some of the only documentation of these stories and has even been used as reference images by news sources. At the beginning of her reception, we conducted a short interview to deeper understand her process. You can read the interview below!
A: Tell me more about your background and how it inspires your art
M: Well, I grew up in a family where we constantly heard these stories. For example, my mother had ten friends who were called for execution, and my mother, who was only 19 years old at the time when she was imprisoned, witnessed her friends being taken away for execution with her own eyes. It was a very painful moment. We regularly visited the families of these ten women and listened to their life stories. They were hanged one by one in front of each other in an attempt to make the next person renounce their faith out of fear and convert to Islam. The last of them was Mona Mahmudnizhad, a 17-year-old girl who witnessed the execution of the nine women before her, yet she bravely stood by her belief in the unity of humankind, gender equality, and other principles, refusing to recant her faith, and was ultimately killed. All of these stories have had and continue to have a profound impact on my artistic work—just like the moment my father and sister were arrested and our home in Iran was raided.
A: How did you select the pieces for this exhibition and how you want to display them?
M: Based on the themes and stories depicted in my paintings, I tried to select a number of works that narrate oppression from different perspectives. Each painting tells a story of the persecution of the Bahá'ís. I also wanted to display the remaining belongings of these individuals alongside the paintings to make the experience more tangible and comprehensible.
A: What do you hope visitors take away from your exhibit?
M: I hope that through my exhibitions, visitors gain a deeper understanding of the systematic persecution of the Bahá'í community and reflect on broader human rights issues. I encourage conversations that challenge the absence of ethical behavior and highlight the necessity of freedom of thought and expression.
A: What is your creative process?
My creative process involves qualitative interviews and archival research to document the experiences of persecuted individuals who have not been previously visually represented. I often pose myself or ask individuals familiar with the events to pose and dress like the figures in my paintings to ensure accuracy in depiction. Using oil on linen on small canvases, I focus on miniature-scale details to convey these narratives.
Maryam Safajoo during the artist talk.
A: Can you tell me more about the academic nature of your artistic process?
M: The academic nature of my artistic process is rooted in thorough research and documentation. Each painting is based on qualitative interviews or archival research and serves as a form of visual ethnography, portraying the experiences of a community that has previously lacked visual representation. Throughout the painting process, I remain in constant communication with my subjects via WhatsApp, ensuring that every detail, composition, and even the colors are verified with them before I begin painting.
A: How do you choose the titles of your works?
M: Choosing a title for my works involves distilling the essence of each story into a few words that encapsulate the main message or emotions. I ask the individuals I have interacted with during the painting process to suggest a few titles, and I also offer my own suggestions. Together, we consult and decide which title is the most suitable and beautiful.
A: How long do you think you’ll stay with the series topic?
M: I think perhaps for the rest of my life. It’s been about 11 years now that I’ve been solely focused on this subject, and I really have no desire to paint anything else.
A: Does it help you and/or the individuals you work with processing the pain of your subjects' suffering?
Engaging with these topics through art, beyond raising awareness and documenting history visually, serves as a form of processing and healing. By unveiling these hidden narratives, we acknowledge the suffering we have endured, celebrate the resilience of the human spirit, and strengthen a collective sense of understanding and empathy.
