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Kamrooz Aram

,

Kamrooz Aram

  • Biography
  • Select works
  • Practices
  • Other Exhibitions
  • Public Collections
  • Videos
  • News / Events
  • Articles / Reviews
  • Biography
    Kamrooz Aram, 2025
    Kamrooz Aram, 2025

    Kamrooz Aram (b. 1978) has built his practice on dismantling the divide between ornament and fine art, renegotiating the art historical hierarchies that privilege Western forms of abstraction above others. His paintings and sculptures do not simply cross categories; they probe the structures that enforce them. Born in Shiraz, Iran, Aram emigrated to the United States in the 1980s, where he found himself forced to come to terms with a multitude of identities imposed upon him. These experiences left a lasting mark. Categories, he discovered, do not merely describe identity—they invent it.This recognition drives his work, which asserts that non-Western ornamental traditions carry the same intellectual weight and conceptual rigor Western art history has long reserved for itself.

    Download Artist's CV (PDF, opens in a new tab.)

    Aram’s paintings are acts of translation. Intricate geometries slip into fields of color, while brushstrokes accumulate in thin layers, revealing glimpses of what lies beneath. Aram speaks of pursuing contemporary art’s “taboo subjects” like emotion and spiritual presence, and in his work, they appear not as sentiment, but as structure. Calligraphic forms reverberate against the cool authority of Minimalist grids; floral arabesque patterns breathe new life into Color Field painting. These juxtapositions are not acts of fusion, so much as acts of recognition, acknowledging what has always been visible.

    Aram’s influences are as diverse as his artistic strategies. Henri Matisse’s embrace of pattern, Ellsworth Kelly’s geometric clarity, and Cy Twombly’s gestural abandon all resonate in his practice. Most revealing is Le Corbusier—modernism’s supposed ascetic—whose architecture, despite its rhetoric of purity, cannot entirely suppress its embrace of ornament. For Aram, this contradiction lays bare how words like “decorative” are never neutral; they are instruments of hierarchy.

    Aram’s sculptures extend this critique into three dimensions, arranging ceramic objects on painted plinths that echo museum displays. These installations engage with institutions from within, showing how context confers the status of “art” and revealing the fragile systems behind such designations. As Aram explains, “I hope to renegotiate the terms in which art history has been written—the Eurocentric hierarchy that places certain types of painting in the category of fine art while others are relegated to the minor arts.”

    At the center of Aram’s practice lies a paradox he captures with poetic clarity in his writing: “It occurs to me that I am Arabesque. It occurs to me that there is no such thing as the Arabesque.” His work inhabits the charged space between being and non-being, tradition and invention, visibility and erasure.  Rather than resolving these contradictions, Aram leaves them; it is in their friction—in the failure of old certainties—that new ways of seeing begin to emerge. 

    Aram’s work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, including Kamrooz Aram: Privacy, An Exhibition, The Arts Club of Chicago, IL (2022); Lives of Forms: Kamrooz Aram and Iman Issa at Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture, Hasselt, Belgium (2021); FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, TX (2018); Kamrooz Aram: Ancient Blue Ornament, Atlanta Contemporary, GA (2018); and Kamrooz Aram: Ornament for Indifferent Architecture, Museum Dhondt Dhaenens, Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium (2017). His work has been featured in significant group exhibitions, including Paraventi: Folding Screens from the 17th to 21st Centuries at Fondazione Prada, Milan, Italy (2023-2024) and Desorientalismos at Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Seville, Spain (2020)Aram's work is in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; M+ Museum, Hong Kong, China; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, TX; Cincinnati Art Museum, OH; Portland Museum of Art, ME; and Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates, among others. He is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship (2025); the Carla Fendi Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome (2024); and the Abraaj Group Art Prize (2014). He is also represented by Green Art Gallery, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Aram lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

  • Select works

    Roman Token, 2023  Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen  66 x 76 in (167.64 x 193 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Untitled (Arabesque Composition), 2023 Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen 66 x 56 in (167.6 x 142.2 cm) Collection of Cincinnati Art Museum (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Domestic Composition (Biruni/Andraruni), 2022 Wood, glass, oil and pencil on linen, and ceramic objects 48 x 36 x 8 in (116.8 x 91.4 x 20.3 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    1907 (Palimpsest #9), 2013 Oil, oil pastel, and wax pencil on canvas 60 x 54 in (152.4 x 137.2 cm) Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Privacy Screen for Public Architecture, 2022 Oil, oil crayon and pencil on linen, hinges, artists frame 5 panels (overall): 96.5 x 158.5 x 1.25 in (24.51 x 402.6 x 3.2cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Orvieto, 2019 Oil, oil crayon, wax pencil and pencil on linen 78 x 56 in (198 x 142.2 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Untitled (Arabesque Composition), 2023 Oil, oil crayon and wax pencil on linen 60 x 66 in (152.4 x 167.64 cm) Collection of Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Composition with Lapis Lazuli, Cobalt and Ceramic Bottle, 2021 Lapis lazuli and cobalt oil paint on linen, lapis lazuli and cobalt oil paint on wood, marble, ceramic Panel: 54 x 40 in (137.2 x 101.6 cm) Pedestal: 42 x 8 x 8 in (106.7 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Silent Blue Arabesque, 2023 Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen 48 x 36 in (121.9 x 91.4 cm) Collection of The Arts Club of Chicago (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Untitled (Palimpsest 50), 2019 Oil, oil crayon, and wax pencil on linen 84 x 60 in (213.4 x 152.4 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Josephine and the Architect, 2017 Oil and pencil on linen; walnut, brass, terrazzo, and ceramic Painting: 60 x 108 in (152 x 274 cm) Collection of Jameel Arts Centre (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Red Window, 2021–2022 Oil, oil crayon and pencil on linen on artist's frame 67.36 x 57.36 in (171.1 x 145.7 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Emerging Ornament, 2021 Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen 96 x 46 in (243.8 x 116.8 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Ornament for Extraordinary Architecture, 2018  Oil, wax, oil crayon, and pencil on canvas in three parts 78 x 44 in each (198.1 x 111.8 cm each) Collection of Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Nocturne 3 (Departing Nocturne), 2019 Oil, oil crayon, wax pencil and pencil on linen 76 x 60 in (193 x 152.5 cm) Collection of Art Gallery of New South Wales (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Proto-Turquoise Variation (II), 2023 Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen 66 x 46 in (167.6 x 116.8 cm) (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Roman Token, 2023
    Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen
    66 x 76 in (167.64 x 193 cm)
  • Practices

    • Painting
      Pages

      Painting

      Aram's paintings are sites of negotiation, where ornamental strategies meet abstraction’s diverse vocabularies. Often beginning with gridded structures, each work builds through a process of layering and revision, retrieving visual...
    • Sculpture
      Pages

      Sculpture

      Aram’s sculptures extend his painterly investigations into three dimensions, creating objects that hover between artwork and display. Painted pedestals function simultaneously as sculptures and supports, their surfaces treated with the...
    • Collage
      Pages

      Collage

      Aram’s collages take pages from art-historical publications as both material and subject, embedding reproductions of ceramics, architectural fragments, and ornamental motifs into painted compositions. These works make his process tangible,...
    • Works on Paper
      Pages

      Works on Paper

      Aram’s works on paper reveal his process with particular clarity, balancing structure and immediacy. Many begin with careful grid frameworks that anchor the page, while subsequent marks develop in direct...
  • Other Exhibitions

    • Kamrooz Aram: Privacy, An Exhibition, The Arts Club of Chicago
      Exhibitions

      Kamrooz Aram: Privacy, An Exhibition

      The Arts Club of Chicago April 5 - August 13, 2022
      Kamrooz Aram's solo show Kamrooz Aram: Privacy, An Exhibiton at The Arts Club of Chicago, IL. The institution's press release follows: Kamrooz Aram: Privacy, An Exhibition presents a series of...
    • Lives of Forms: Kamrooz Aram and Iman Issa, Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture
      Exhibitions

      Lives of Forms: Kamrooz Aram and Iman Issa

      Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture May 1 - August 1, 2021
      Kamrooz Aram's two-person exhibition Lives of Forms at the Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture, Hasselt, Belgium. The institution's press release follows: Z33 presents the first two-person exhibition...
    • Kamrooz Aram: An Object, A Gesture, A Décor, The FLAG Art Foundation
      Exhibitions

      Kamrooz Aram: An Object, A Gesture, A Décor

      The FLAG Art Foundation October 27, 2018 - January 19, 2019
      Kamrooz Aram's solo exhibition An Object, A Gesture, A Décor , at The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY. The institution's press release follows: Kamrooz Aram: An Object, A Gesture,...
    • FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram, Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth
      Exhibitions

      FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram

      Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth March 31 - June 17, 2018
      Kamrooz Aram's solo exhibition FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, TX. The institution's press release follows: Spanning painting, sculpture, collage, and installation, Kamrooz Aram's work...
    • Kamrooz Aram: Ornament for Indifferent Architecture, Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens
      Exhibitions

      Kamrooz Aram: Ornament for Indifferent Architecture

      Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens February 5 - April 9, 2017
      Kamrooz Aram's solo art show Kamrooz Aram: Ornament for Indifferent Architecture at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle, Belgium. The institution's press release follows: Ornament for Indifferent Architecture is the first European museum...
    • Kamrooz Aram: Generation after Generation, Revolution after Revelation, LAXART
      Exhibitions

      Kamrooz Aram: Generation after Generation, Revolution after Revelation

      LAXART January 29 - March 20, 2010
      Kamrooz Aram's solo exhibition Kamrooz Aram: Generation after Generation, Revolution after Revelation at LAXART, Los Angeles. The institution's press release follows: LA> < ART is pleased to present the first...
  • Public Collections
    Untitled (Arabesque Composition), 2020 Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen 48 x 40 in (121.9 x 101.6 cm) Collection of Portland Museum of Art
    Untitled (Arabesque Composition), 2020
    Oil, oil crayon, and pencil on linen
    48 x 40 in (121.9 x 101.6 cm)
    Collection of Portland Museum of Art

    Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
    Art Jameel Collection, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    Art Program of the Cleveland Clinic, OH
    Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio
    Deutsche Bank Collection
    The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY
    Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
    M+ Museum, Hong Kong
    The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
    Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, TX
    Portland Museum of Art, ME 
    Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
    Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates

  • Videos

    • The Artist Project: Kamrooz Aram, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
      Video entries

      The Artist Project: Kamrooz Aram

      The Metropolitan Museum of Art February 29, 2016
      'We go into these galleries and we dream of the past.' Artist Kamrooz Aram reflects on the ancient arts of Iran in this episode of The Artist Project—an online series...
  • News / Events
    • Kamrooz Aram

      Kamrooz Aram

      Precious: The Value of Ornament at the Portland Museum of Art March 13–September 26, 2026
      Kamrooz Aram is included in the group exhibition Precious: The Value of Abstraction at the Portland Museum of Art, ME, on view from March 13–September 26, 2026.
      Read more
    • Kamrooz Aram

      Kamrooz Aram

      Painting Energy: The Alex Katz Collection at the Portland Museum of Art May 23–September 14, 2025
      Kamrooz Aram is included in the group exhibition Painting Energy: The Alex Katz Collection at the Portland Museum of Art, ME, on view from May 23–September 14, 2025.
      Read more
    • Kamrooz Aram

      Kamrooz Aram

      Award Announcement for 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship (Fine Arts) April 15, 2025
      Kamrooz Aram awarded with a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in Fine Arts.
      Read more
  • Articles / Reviews
    • Guggenheim Announces 2025 Fellowship Recipients

      Artforum
      April 15, 2025 The Guggenheim Foundation today named the 198 recipients of its 2025 fellowships. Those recognized with the honor, considered one of...
    • The American Academy of Rome building, built in 1911 by architects McKim, Mead and White on the Janiculum Hill. Getty

      American Academy In Rome Announces 2023-24 Winners Of The Rome Prize

      Forbes
      April 24, 2023 The latest winners of the highly prestigious Rome Prize were announced today by the American Academy in Rome (AAR). The...
    • Variations on Glazed Bricks, 2021. Oil, color pencil and book pages on linen, installation: 24 x 104 inches. Composed of 5 panels. Courtesy the artist and Peter Blum Gallery, New York. Photo: Sebastian Bach.

      In Conversation: Kamrooz Aram with William Corwin

      Brooklyn Rail
      November 11, 2022 During our conversation at the Peter Blum Gallery, Iranian-American artist Kamrooz Aram joked, “When you're identified as an Arab long...
    • Scrutinuity, 2022. Oil, oil crayon and pencil on linen, 48 x 46 inches. Courtesy the artist and Peter Blum Gallery, New York. Photo: Sebastian Bach.

      ARTSEEN: Kamrooz Aram: Elusive Ornament

      Brooklyn Rail
      November 1, 2022 Through painting, and more recently, sculpture and collage, Kamrooz Aram’s practice explores the classification and hierarchies of art history. Grounded...
    • Aram’s paintings are reflected in the gallery floor, recalling Wellfleet ponds and Iranian pools. (Photo by Michael Tropea)

      A Public Exploration of Privacy

      The Provincetown Independent
      May 11, 2022 Iran and Wellfleet are worlds apart, yet the painter Kamrooz Aram managed to find memories of his native country in...
    • Kamrooz Aram, Privacy Screen for Public Architecture, 2022, installation view. Photo: Maximilíano Durón/ARTnews

      Kamrooz Aram Breaks Down the Divide Between Decorative Art and Painting in Chicago Show

      ARTnews
      April 7, 2022 When he is in the midst of planning a new exhibition, Brooklyn-based artist Kamrooz Aram aims to respond to the...
    • Untitled (Arabesque Composition), 2021, oil, wax crayon, and pencil on linen, 54 × 48''.

      Critics' Picks: Paris: Kamrooz Aram

      Artfoum
      September 10, 2021 “Un objet, un geste” (An object, a gesture,) Kamrooz Aram’s first solo exhibition in France, calls into question critical hierarchies...
    • Installation view: Lives of Forms: Kamrooz Aram and Iman Issa, Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design, and Architecture, 2021

      Kamrooz Aram and Iman Issa's "Lives of Forms"

      e-flux
      May 18, 2021 The title of Kamrooz Aram and Iman Issa’s “Lives of Forms,” and the work included in it, is not inspired...
    • Installation View: FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 2018

      Kamrooz Aram’s “Focus”

      ArtAsiaPacific
      June 5, 2018 Blurring the boundary between traditional non-Western art and Western Modernism, Iranian-American artist Kamrooz Aram mixes representational objects and imagery with...
    • Critics' Picks: Fort Worth: Kamrooz Aram

      Artforum
      May 21, 2018 Borges warned, “a book that does not contain its counter-book is considered incomplete.” The same could be argued for painting,...
    • Installation view: FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 2018

      Kamrooz Aram at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

      Glasstire
      April 23, 2018 I worked as a gallery attendant at Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum back in 2005 when the exhibition Palace and...
    • Installation view of Kamrooz Aram’s exhibition “Ancient Blue Ornament” at Atlanta Contemporary through April 1.

      Reviews: Kamrooz Aram Delivers Institutional Critique at Atlanta Contemporary

      BURNAWAY
      March 22, 2018 Institutional critique looms large over contemporary art. In a moment when power is being held to account and representation matters,...
    • A Monument for Living in Defeat, 2016, Oil, wax and pencil on canvas; terrazzo and brass on panel; walnut, brass, soapstone and alabaster. Painting: 60 x 108 in./152.4 x 274.32 cm

      Interviews: Kamrooz Aram

      Artforum
      January 3, 2017 Kamrooz Aram is a Brooklyn-based artist whose works often challenge a modernist disdain for decoration, ornamentation, and patterning. His current...
    • Maspeth Rituals (Palimpsest #14), 2013, oil, oil pastel, and wax pencil on canvas, 84 x 72".

      Critics' Pick: Dubai: Kamrooz Aram

      Artforum
      April 23, 2014 For his first solo show in Dubai, painter Kamrooz Aram has taken his ongoing interest in erasure up a notch....
    • Abraaj Group Announces Five Art Prize Winners

      Observer
      June 11, 2013 The Abraaj Group Art Prize, which highlights artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, has announced this...
    • Installation view: Brute Ornament: Kamrooz Aram and Seher Shah, Green Art Gallery, 2012

      "Brute Ornament"

      Artforum
      April 1, 2012 Curated by Murtaza Vali, this exhibition of recent works by Kamrooz Aram and Seher Shah could easily be mistaken for...
    • East in the Eye of This Beholder

      The New York Times
      March 20, 2009 “I’m interested in what makes something Eastern, what makes something exotic,” the painter Kamrooz Aram says. His curiosity is part...
    • Celebration/Desert Station (III), 2005, oil and stickers on canvas, 108 x 60 in.

      Uneasy Delights

      Art in America
      February 23, 2009 Velocity and visual amplitude typify this artist’s canvases, as if he were fixing as many elements of a rapidly mutating...

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