About Me

jelbert karami

JELBERT KARAMI

    I am Jelbert Karami. I was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1985. My love and passion for painting
started at the age of 14 after seeing the beautiful paintings by one of the greatest Iranian poets
and painters, Sohrab Sphere, at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.
I started learning painting, drawing, and art history with masters in Tehran, mounting my first
solo exhibition there in 2005. At the age of twenty, I committed my life to art, starting to paint
professionally, holding workshops in private clubs in the city. The challenges of being an artist in
Iran includes extreme censorship of subject matter, and while an artist can become well known,
there are always eyes on him or her. I had several solo and group exhibitions in Iran, and I was
active. However, I left my homeland for Vienna in 2015, stayed a few months, and came to the
United States in 2016. I had also held several exhibitions in the United States, and I paint every
day. Although there are many problems and difficulties in immigration, I have always tried to be
active. Today, different issues have occupied my mind. It is no longer just the presence of
human beings in my work, but I am working on various topics as well. The Tree of Life collection
is one of the most fascinating collections in my opinion. The fragmented trees, lonely and
crumbling, seem to refer to the same human beings of my past, and this is completely
unintended. The same thing is repeated in the collection of water bottles or in the works of
collages. For me, some collections include four or five works; and some of my collections may
even reach a hundred works, and that varies greatly. My artworks reflect both my spirituality
and my love for the nation, as well as my interest in Middle Eastern culture and human-rights
issues. Witnessing my history disappear is devastating, but I believe that humanity can
ultimately become a true community by reaching past darkness for light, and "for me, that light
came through art."

Solo Exhibitions:

. 2025 Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, California

. 2022 Modesto Junior College Library, Modesto, California

. 2015 Atashzad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

. 2014 Shila Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

. 2013 Arasbaran Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran

Select Group Exhibitions:

 

. 2025 Stanislaus Art Council Gallery, A Year of Reflection, Modesto, California

. 2025 Stanislaus Art Council Gallery, The Autumn Art Exhibition, Modesto, California

. 2024 Palacio Ducal de Medinaceli, Medinaceli, Spain, Organized by Capital Culture House

. 2023 Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, California

. 2023 El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, Organized by Capital Culture House

. 2023 MJC ART Gallery, Modesto, California

. 2022 MJC Art Gallery, Modesto, California

. 2020 Van Der Plas Gallery, New York

. 2019 Carnegie Art Center, Turlock, California

. 2018 Museum of World Culture, Sweden

. 2018 Assyrian Art Exhibition Organized by Assyrian American Association of San Jose, California

. 2017 University Art Gallery at Stanislaus State, California, Organized by Assyrian Art Institute

. 2017 Carnegie Art Center, Turlock, California

. 2017 Mistlin Gallery, Modesto, California

. 2017 Assyrian Art Exhibition Organized by Assyrian American Association of San Jose, California

Digital Art Exhibitions:

. 2020 Digital Art Exhibition Organized by Respond, University of Cambridge

3D Art Exhibitions:

. 2022 MJC Art Gallery, Modesto, California

. 2021 Modesto Junior College Art Gallery, Modesto, California

Art Fairs:

. 2024 Parallax Art Fair, MG Studio, Los Angeles

. 2022 The Other Art Fair, Santa Monica, Los Angeles

. 2022 The Other Art Fair, Virtual Edition

. 2022 Superfine Art Fair, San Fransisco

. 2022 The Other Art Fair (Virtual Edition)

Awards:

. 2025 Best of Show, Stanislaus Art Council Gallery, The Autumn Art Exhibition, Modesto, California

. 2025 People’s Choice, Stanislaus Art Council Gallery, The Autumn Art Exhibition, Modesto, California

. 2025 First Place, Stanislaus Art Council Gallery, The Autumn Art Exhibition, Modesto, California

. 2023 Honorable Mention-Art Drawing, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2022 Honorable Mention-Art Drawing, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2022 Honorable Mention-Art-3-Dimensional, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2021 First Place-Painting, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2021 First Place-Drawing, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2021 First Place-Mixed Media, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2020 First Place-Painting, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2020 First Place-Mixed Media, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2020 Honorable Mention-Art-3-Dimensional, Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California

. 2019 Award of Merit, Carnegie Art Showcase, Turlock, California

Magazines:

. 2022 Art Squat Magazine

. 2023 Create Magazine, Issue #38

. 2024 Guto Ajayu Culture, Anthology VII

. 2024 New American Paintings, #169