Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (b. 1924 – d. 2019, Qazvin, IR) is described as 'one of Iran’s most inspiring and innovative artists'. Although she has lived longer in New York than in her homeland, her work is deeply rooted in Iranian culture, architecture and traditions, both formal and spiritual. Her work is characterized by geometric figures and their variations, the visual play of illusion and appearance, local traditions and the simplicity and complexity of nature. After a twenty-year exile following the Islamic Revolution, Farmanfarmaian returned to Iran in 1992, where she lived and worked. With her work, she received the gold medal for the Iran Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1958. Recently, the Monir Museum in Tehran (IR) opened its doors, the first museum in the country dedicated to a female artist.
