Maysha Mohamedi, an Iranian-American artist, was born in 1980 in Los Angeles, where she currently lives and works. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2002, and later, a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco in 2011.
Her works eloquently bridge Iranian and American cultures, melding abstraction and figuration. Using a palette dominated by primary colors and incorporating unconventional mark-making tools, Mohamedi addresses themes like fate, play, and power—concepts deeply embedded in Iranian cultural psyche. Her background in chemistry and biology also permeates her artwork; she collects tar from the beaches of Santa Barbara and transforms this raw material into paint. This process humorously challenges the traditional painters’ taboo against using pure black straight from the tube, connecting her craft to the very essence of Mother Earth.
Mohamedi has organized numerous exhibitions across Los Angeles and New York, showcasing her unique blend of science and art.