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.

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.

Her approach to allegory and symbolic imagery resonates with the work of Miguel Condé, whose figurative etchings similarly draw on layers of hidden meaning.