Maryam Vesal, Artist and Curator Assistant
Maryam Vesal is an Iranian artist working and living in San Jose. She has learned Persian Miniature and Tazheeb under masters in Iran such as Mehran Lotfali and has been practicing and creating traditional artworks for over 10 years. She has a BFA in Studio Art from University of Texas at Austin. Maryam is a multi-disciplinary artist working in variety of media such as: ceramics, painting, photography, performance, and installation sculpture. In her practice, she is challenged by the existing differences and similarities in Western and Eastern standards of beauty.
Amirbehnam Tehranifar, Artist and Marketing Expert
Amirbehnam Tehranifar is from Iran and has moved to the U.S. in the past year. He graduated from Art University of Tehran in Graphic Design. He has ten years of experience in Art. He is currently working as a freelance graphic designer.
Zoha Mahzoon, Co-Founder, Illumination Artist
For me, Painting is a gate to another world, a world that talks about beauty, love, color and peace. Painting is a common language to all people around the world and this, is what makes me, enjoy it. The artworks I have done to decorate and inscribe calligraphies here are called Tazheeb or illumination. Tazheeb is Arabic word which has been derived from “zahab” meaning “gold” and it is is the combination of arabesque and gild artworks. Tazheeb is usually used to draw beautiful patterns of plants or geometrical shapes on the margins of books, especially the Holy Quran.
Fateme Montazeri, Co-founder, Islamic Art Director, Nastaliq Calligrapher
My contact with the world of arts, like many others, started when I was a child. However, there was a big gap from then until I chose arts as my future career, when I pursued my undergraduate studies in Design at the University of Tehran, Iran. Soon I realized that functional art is not what I’m looking for, but what intrigues me is traditional art. I pursued my Master’s Degree in Art Studies and I am now a PhD student of Islamic Art at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. For many years I have done Nastaliq calligraphy, which is mostly used for Persian poetry; and tazheeb, the art of illuminating works of calligraphy. I am interested in the connections between Islamic arts and spirituality, and the reflections of Islamic thought and mysticism –Sufism—in Islamic arts.
Collaborators and Volunteers
Arash Shirinbab, Creative Director – Co-founder
I love the mission and work of Ziya Art Center and proud to be able to serve as their Creative Director for over 6 years:
Overseeing all phases of creative development work from concept development and early rough design, to detailed design, and production in a hands-on/executional way. Attracting and supervising 8- 10 creatives including writers, designers, curators, producers, and production artists. Droving all aspects of creative development including brand experience, workflow, execution, and budget oversight
Neal Jamal Koga, Artist, Calligrapher, and Content Strategist
Jamal (Neal) Koga, born in 1971, has been experimenting with calligraphy using the Arabic script since he began studying Arabic in 2002. Although chiefly autodidactic, he has received personal guidance and inspiration from calligraphers in Fes (Morocco) and Bukhara (Uzbekistan). He also occasionally practices writing Chinese characters.
Abdolreza Hosseini Garakani, Nastaliq, Naskh, and Thuluth Master Calligrapher
Abdolreza Hosseini Garekani is a master calligrapher in different styles of Islamic calligraphy including Nastaliqu, Thuluth, and Naskh and for the past 20 years at the Iranian Calligraphists Association, he has been teaching hundreds of students each year in different levels. He was awarded the first place in several national and international calligraphy competitions including IRSICA in Turkey. He is in the list of 100 top honored Calligraphy Masters in Iran.
Hamid Reza, Nastaliq and Shekaste Nastaliq Master Calligrapher
I always loved Persian poetry and Islamic calligraphy, and my passion for creating authentic artworks motivated me to practice and create calligraphic artworks for more than 25 years. I had the opportunity of practicing with some great calligraphy masters including Kashi Poor, Foradi, and Jamaladin Moadeb. I have the Master (Momtaz) certificate on Nastaliq and Shekaste Nastaliq calligraphy from the National Institute of Iranian Calligraphers. I participated in 3 calligraphy exhibitions and my last works are going to be exhibited in the Sanati Musium of Art in Kerman, Iran.
Nasser Arabpour, Painting and Art Teacher
Nasser Arabpour is an artist and art instructor, born in 1963 in Kerman. He has a BA in painting from Pardis Isfahan University and a MA in Arts Studies from University of Tehran. He is the founder and Director of the Naghsh Honar Institute in Kerman, one of the first and most successful private art institutes in Kerman, teaching hundreds of students for over 15 years theories of arts including history of arts, theories of visual arts and colors, perspective, etc. as well as practical painting techniques and drawing. Arabpour has participated in several solo and group exhibitions in Iran and is an expert in landscape painting.
Artist Partners
Kirk Lumpkin is a poet, performer, lyricist, environmentalist, cultural worker, and event organizer. He retired last year after working 20 plus years at the Ecology Center primarily as the Special Events Coordinator of the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets. He was formerly a Theater Manager at the Intersection Art Center, San Francisco and was on the Board of PEN Oakland for 10 years. He’s the author of two books of poetry, In Deep and Co-Hearing. He’s released two poetry/music CDs, The Word-Music Continuum and Sound Poems.
Lea Delson is an event, portrait, and fine art photographer and has exhibited her photographs of translucence in nature as well as photographs documenting the urban environment in group and solo shows. She has worked as a professional photographer since 2001, creating distinctive images of lifecycle events, celebrations and portraits for families, individuals, organizations and students. She is an active member of several Jewish congregations in the East Bay.
Nabeela Sajjad is the founder of Islamic Art Exhibit, a non-profit organization (2009). They exhibit artwork by local Muslim Artists in the Bay Area libraries and Islamic Centers. Islamic Art Exhibit promotes Islamic Art to the greater American audience and provides a platform for the talented Muslim Community. Nabeela has a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pakistan. She settled in the United States in 1992. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, California with her husband and three children.
Rubina Kazi was born in Bombay, India and moved to the United States in 1996. She is a computer and software engineer and until now she has been painting more as a hobby than a profession. Rubina has always been artistically inclined with a keen creative eye, and a feel for the arts. Her work with calligraphy and abstract art is influenced by her upbringing, international travels, love of music and nature.
Steve McKiernan is a web designer / web developer in Oakland, CA. As a member of Montclair Presbyterian Church, Steve believes that bringing people of different faiths together, especially on creative/artistic projects, is key to increasing understanding and interfaith harmony. Beyond that, he hopes that projects such as the Exhibition will increase dialogue between Oakland's various communities and act as a focal point to unify & inspire Oaklanders in general. He's proud to be helping with the Interfaith Art Exhibition.
Tom Debley is an Oakland photographer who is a past president of the Alameda Photographic Society and the Northern California Council of Camera Clubs (N4C), of which is also an Honorary Fellow. His work has been honored by the Alameda Photographic Society, California Newspaper Publishers Association, Marin County Fair, Northern California Council of Camera Clubs, Photographer’s Forum, and Photographic Society of America among others. His work has been exhibited by the Alameda Photographic Society, Commonwealth Club of California, Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center, Marin County Fair, and University of Maine Museum of Art, in addition to the Interfaith Art Exhibit.
Partner Curators
