About
Biography
Iranian born, Fariba Abedin’s work explores geometric abstraction with an emphasis on color study where geometry and color become the subjects of her intriguing paintings. Her large scale geometric paintings give the effect of a blown-up kaleidoscope to the viewers, and her carefully selected tints, shades and tones create the illusion of volume, space, and transparency. Although Abedin’s work is geometric and structural, her concept of work is tender and appealing in its appreciation of the nature and science, Color and geometry. She also conveys a message of love and peace through her work.
She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture from Massachusetts College of Art and a Master of Science in Education from Connecticut State University. Then, for the next three decades she studied painting and sculpture at prominent art institutions such as Art League of Houston and Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
She lives and works in Houston and has exhibited, and given lectures and workshops in geometric art at The Museum of Geometric and MADI Art in Dallas, Pear Fincher Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, University of North Texas, Irving Art Center, and in Houston, Asia Society, Lawndale Art Center, Jung Center, Bank of America Center, and the Houston City Hall. She is among the 29 artists on the Houston Arts Alliance, City of Houston’s Artists Roster recommended for public art projects. She is also among Top 5 Houston Artists by Houston Magazine.
“Fariba Abedin’s paintings dissect light into its prismatic components. She then re-configures these component colors into sometimes large-scale compositions. Reminiscent of early Bauhaus concepts, especially ideas by Johannes Itten in his book “The Art of Color”, Abedin goes beyond the original Bauhaus premises and articulates novel geometric color fields of her own provenance.” By; Volker Eisele
Artist Statement
“Since my early childhood I was exposed to the rich art and culture of Iran. The
unique architecture, geometric forms, and rich colors of Persian tiles still
mesmerize me and remind me of my childhood.
Today the concept of my work is in appreciation of nature and science, color and
geometry, and the mission of my work is to bring the beauty of Iranian art and
architecture into the view of the west in a contemporary presentation. I intend
for my work to engage people and make them happy. I also convey a message of
love and peace to the world through my work.”
-Fariba Abedin
Fariba Abedin: Past Shows & Accolades
Workshops
2019 – Contemplation through Geometry, HISD Fine Arts Summit, a workshop for HISD art teachers at the Wisdom High School.
2018 – Calligraphy Painting Workshop, Taiba, a nonprofit organization aiming to empower women, Houston TX, February 24, 2018.
2018 – Lectures and Geometric Art Workshop at the University of North Texas, Feb 5, 2018
2018 – Harmony through Light and Color Workshop, Taiba, non profit organization empowering women, Houston TX, January 27.
2017 – Asia Society, Houston and Islamic Art Society Co-presented with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, a workshop in Islamic geometry, complements Asia Society’s Wondrous Worlds: Art & Islam Through Time & Place exhibition.
2017 – Dallas Museum of Art, a workshop complementing Keir Collection exhibition, ‘Islamic Art and the Language of Exchange’, exploring Islamic Art and culture.
Exhibitions
2021- Rave New York Art Fair, Redwood Art Group, April 22-25, 2021.
2021- “2020 HINDSIGHT” 6th Annual Persian Online Art Exhibition, Irving Art Association, Irving, Texas, March 2021. Curator: Pooran Lashini.
2020- “Drawing the Soul Toward Truth,” Berkeley University Art Gallery, September 10th – December 10th 2020. Curator: Rachelle Syed.
2019- United Airlines partnered with Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Houston Arts Alliance and the Houston Airport System to select and install artwork from 19 Houston artists at George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Terminal C North. The $1 million funding for this project was provided by United Airlines. Fariba Abedin’s work is installed in Concourse C3.
2019- “Crossing Borders” is an exhibition of diverse artistic interpretations inspired by the international artists of Silver Street representing over 20 countries curated by Maria Chaves.
2019- “The Road to the Heart”, Persian Art Exhibition, Irving Art Center, Irving, Texas, curator: Pooran Lashini.
2018- Installation at the Partneship Tower in Houston, Houston First Enterprise Development, curator, Christne West, Cultural Program Manager
2018- Serenity and Intensity, Winter street Gallery, curator Suzett Schutz
2018- Environmental Perspective, Silver Street Studios, Houston TX, curator, Valentina Atkinson
2018 – Say it in Blue, Silver Street Studios, Houston, TX, Curator, Grace Zuniga
2018 – Assistance League of Houston celebrates Texas Art, 1/17 – 2/23 Juror, Anna Katz, the Assistant Curator of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California chooses 65 art works from among 867.
2017 – 6th Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Islamic Art, Irving Art Center, Irving Texas, Curator, Shafaq Ahmad, Juror, Dr. Linda Komaroff, one of the best known Curator of Islamic Art in the USA, a Senior Curator and Department Head of the Islamic Art at Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, California.
2017 – The 4th Islamic Society Art Fair, Curator, Dr. Azimuddin, Spring Texas.
2017- “ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD”, Group Show, Islamic Arts Society in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, at Houston City Hall.
2017 – The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center, Juror, Toby Kamps, currently the curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Menil Collection, and soon-to-be director and chief curator of the Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, TX.
2017 – Color Study, Solo Exhibition, Bank of America Center, organized by Kinselman Art Consulting, Houston, in behalf of the owners of the Bank of America Center, and M&M Properties, Houston, TX.
2017 – Arts of the Islamic World, Houston City Hall, Curator, Gail Mebane, Director of Harambee Gallery, Houston, TX.
2016 – The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center, Jurors Apsara DiQuinzio, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art of the Berkley Art Museum, and Tina Kukielski, Executive Director of Art21, Houston, TX.
2016 – “Sawyer Yards Revealed” – an exhibition of the Artists of Sawyer Yards curated by Jacob Spacek, Houston, TX.
2016 – VISUAL VOICES” An exhibition of new work from Spring Street resident artists, curated by Hans Payan Geler, Houston, TX.
2016 – Pearl Fincher Museum exhibit “Transcendental Inspirations”, Curator, Emily Guerra, in Spring, Texas.
2016 – “The Patterns of Culture”, Plano Art Association, President/Curator, Soheyla Rashidian, Plano, TX.
2016 – “On Paper This Time”, Jung Center, Curator, Jeniffer Wilkins, Feb. 2016.
2015 – “The Weight of Light”, curator, Rudolph Blume/ Art Scan Gallery, Curator; Volker Eisele.
2015 – The Islamic Art Festival, President and Curator, Dr. Khawaja Azimuddin, Featured Artist, Fariba Abedin
2015 – The Color Show, Curator, Heidi Vaughan, Spring Street Studios
2015 – The Museum of Geometric and MADI Art, Dallas, Middle Eastern Influences, Curator, Dorothy Masterson,
2015 – Samara Gallery, “Geometric Love”, by Camille Samara
2015 – PEACE or WARS **WITHOUT** END? The Houston Peace and Justice
Center, APRIL 25, 2015, Texas Southern University.
2015 – Lawndale Art Center, the Big Show, Juror, George Scheer, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Elsewhere, Greensboro, NC.
2014 – Installation, Tank Space Project, Spring Street Studios, “Language of Love” Curator Michael Golden
2015- Skin in the Game, Curator, Angel Quesada, Spring Street Studios
2014 – The Hunting Art Prize Finalist, Houston, TX
2013 – Texas Contemporary Art Fair, Spring Street Studios, Houston, TX
2013 – Houston Fine Art Fair, Spring Street Studios, Houston, TX
2013 – Art on the Avenue, juror, Kimberly Davenport, Director of Rice University Art Gallery
2013 – Houston City Hall, Houston, TX
2013 – Berry Center, Cypress, TX
2013 – Wade Wilson Art Gallery, Houston, TX and Santa Fe, NM
2013 – Assistance League of Houston Celebrates Texas Art 2013 Juried Show
2012 – Texas Contemporary Art Fair, Wade Wilson Art, Houston, TX
2012 – Houston Fine Art Fair Jurors Award, Wade Wilson Art, Tootsie’s Feature
2011 – Canal Street Gallery, Houston, TX
2011 – Sculpture by Design Gallery, Houston, TX
2011 – Museum of Fine Arts, Glassell School of Art, Sculpture Juried Show, Houston,
TX
2010 – 27th Juried Open Exhibition, Visual Arts Alliance, Williams Tower Gallery, Houston, TX, Juror, Keith Carter, Walles Chair of Art, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
2009 – Canal Street Gallery, Houston, TX
2009 – Museum of Fine Arts, Glassell School of Art, Painting Juried Show, Houston, TX
2009 – Galveston Art League Juried Show, 1st Prize, Galveston, TX
2008 – Lone star Art Guild Juried Show, 1st Prize, Houston, TX
2007 – Galveston Art League Juried Show, 1st Prize, Galveston, TX
2006 – Lone Star Art Guild Juried Show, 1st Prize, Houston, TX
