Omid Memarian is a passionate art enthusiast and an active observer of emerging international photographers and painters. He served as a content advisor for the Peace Prize Photo Exhibition in November 2023 in Oslo, as well as a content and production advisor for notable art exhibitions, including Shirin Neshat's 2019 group exhibition, “The World between You and Everything,” and Yalda Moairy's 2024 photo exhibition, “Standing in the Dust.”
His own photographic work is featured in the compilation “The Great Recession” (2008), published by UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. Additionally, he is the editor of “Sketches of Iran” (2013), a collection of 40 impactful cartoons and essays that reflect contemporary Iranian life.
In his interviews featured on Global Voices, Memarian engages with artists across a spectrum of disciplines, exploring their distinctive artistic expressions. These conversations delve into critical themes of identity and globalization while interrogating and redefining conventional narratives within the art world through innovative and thought-provoking creative practices.
As a World Peace Fellow at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism (2007-2009) and the recipient of the prestigious “Human Rights Defender Award” (2005) from Human Rights Watch, Memarian combines a deep commitment to social justice with his journalistic pursuits.
He has published Op-Ed pieces in major publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Time.com, Daily Beast, San Francisco Chronicle, Foreign Affairs, Politico, and OpenDemocracy, among others.
Latest posts by Omid Memarian
‘Shadow Means Strength, Shadow is Invincible': A conversation with Turkish artist Selma Gurbuz
"That which is real does not change, but its shadow can change. Shadow is a two-dimensional representation. It shows us ourselves."
Through the Orientalist looking-glass: An interview with Moroccan artist Lalla Essaydi
"In my photography, I explore this [Orientalist] space, whether mental or physical, and interrogate its role in gender identity-making, while engaging with centuries of cultural heritage and artistic practices."
‘African art has nourished all civilizations': A Conversation with Algerian artist Rachid Koraichi
"We owe thanks to this wonderful continent that allows us not only to exist but also to give lessons, even if some people want to push us into the corner."
The magic of paper and ink: A conversation with Iranian-American artist Hadieh Shafie
Born in Iran and raised in the US, Hadieh Shafie is fascinated with reimagining the book form, drawing textual forms and exploring color and its emotive power.
History, landscape, body: A conversation with Pakistani artist Ali Kazim
Kazim’s works have been exhibited in major international fairs and exhibitions around the world, including New York’s Frieze art fair in 2019.
‘An interplay between Western and Eastern Cultures': Two art exhibitions on cultural collisions
In October 2019 in Brooklyn, New York, two women artists from Iran and Pakistan exhibited new bodies of work in which they portrayed the interplay between Western and Eastern cultures
