About

Born in Tehran, Iran, Naeemeh Naeemaei received her BFA from Tehran Art University in 2006, majoring in sculpture. After graduation, she participated in numerous individual and group shows in Tehran, both in sculpture and painting. In 2009, she began a series of paintings about endangered species, which led to her first solo exhibition, Dreams Before Extinction. In 2013, the series was reproduced in a bilingual (English and Farsi) book of the same title, published by Perceval Press, and shown at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, in 2019.

Before moving to the United States in 2017, Naeemaei was active in Iran's environmental movement and involved with several organizations seeking to raise awareness about endangered species and other environmental issues. In 2016, Naeemaei was the category winner in the Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition, sponsored by the David Shepherd Foundation in London. In 2018, she served on the Twelfth Glenn Gould Award Jury, given every second year to a living individual in recognition of his/her contributions to art, music, and communication. In 2022, her latest photo series Jaan, meaning life in Persian, and inspired by Oregon's natural environment, was exhibited at the Schneider Museum of Art in Ashland, Oregon. Currently based in Chicago, she is preparing for her upcoming solo show at the Karin Clarke Gallery in May 2023. Her works have been featured in renowned international journals and magazines such as Orion, Leonardo, and Feminist Formations.

naeemeh.naeemaei@gmail.com