Marjan Seyedin - prints and biography

Marjan Seyedin (b. 1979, Iran) is a contemporary artist whose practice spans printmaking and drawing, marked by a poetic fusion of classical technique and contemporary symbolism. Dividing her time between Paris and Southern California, Seyedin has built an international career distinguished by numerous awards, residencies, and exhibitions.

She first studied graphic design at Tehran’s Azad University, earning a master’s degree before relocating to France in 2003. There she completed her studies at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg, and in 2017 she obtained a PhD in Plastic Arts from Marc Bloch University, Strasbourg. This rigorous academic background informs her practice, which combines technical mastery with conceptual depth.

Seyedin has been the recipient of significant honors, including the Grav’x Prize in Paris (2007) and the Pierre Cardin Prize of the Academy of Fine Arts (2010). Her career has also been enriched by international residencies: at the Fondation Dufraine in the French Vexin, supported by the Academy of Fine Arts; at the Guanlan Printmaking Base in China; and at the Casa de Velázquez – French Academy in Madrid during 2015–2016.

Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions across France, Iran, and the United States. Highlights include a 2017 solo exhibition at the Shirin Gallery in Tehran and her first solo show in France at Galerie Documents 15, Paris, in 2018. These exhibitions demonstrated the growing resonance of her artistic voice across cultural boundaries.

At the heart of Seyedin’s work lies a fascination with animals, which she employs as allegorical figures for humanity. The owl, in particular, recurs as a symbol of wisdom, rooted in Greek and Roman traditions of Athena and Minerva, yet reimagined through her own contemporary lens. Working primarily in etching, aquatint, and drypoint, Seyedin revitalizes classical engraving methods, rendering them vehicles for poetic and often symbolic expression.

Through her prints and drawings, Marjan Seyedin bridges tradition and modernity, creating a body of work that is technically refined, intellectually rich, and universally resonant.