Hello! I am Maryam Khaleghiyazdi
As an immigrant illustrator, artist, and educator, in my creative work, I am driven by a passionate mission to amplify the voices of fellow immigrants, giving life to their stories. I apply various mediums such as illustration, animation, interactive installation and use multiple materials ranging from animation to textiles. These different mediums and materials mirror the rich diversity of the immigrants' stories and cultural heritage. As an example, my animation “Morphing Shadow” that narrates my experience of immigration won the Award of Excellence in Communication Arts (Ca) competition, CA, the US, 2022 and the Award of The Professional Exploration category, the World Illustration Awards, London, the UK, 2021 and it became presented by The Washington Post, “In the galleries: Sculptures take us beyond the conventional,” 2022 and Guardian, Covid kisses and marvelous menus: the AOI world illustration awards 2021 in pictures, 2021.
My other passion is exploring and confronting social issues through editorial illustration. I employ illustration and graphic design to examine critical social justice themes in contemporary society. Through my work, I aim to start meaningful conversations, evoke audience empathy, raise awareness, and advocate for positive changes. My works in this category received international acclaim and were exhibited at prestigious events like The Lahti International Poster Triennial, Lahti,Finland, 2022, WHY Graphic Festival, Florence, Italy, 2020, The 16th CSO International Poster Biennial, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, 2020, and Poster for Tomorrow, Paris, France, 2021.
My third central area of creative activity extends to the client-based project. I collaborated with multiple clients and organizations, helping them build impactful illustrations and animations to increase visibility. Some of my clients include Honda, AARP, the Department of Defense, and the University of South California. I also bring my graphic design background to deliver solutions that meet clients' objectives and effectively communicate with their target audience. For instance, "Trojan Horse," a series of illustrations I created for the Athens Film Festival promotional materials that won the silver prize of A' Design Award, Como, Italy, 2019.
I'm currently focused on merging illustration, textiles, and interactive art to amplify immigrant voices. My recent project, "Say Sew," is an interactive collection of fabric illustrations that weaves the stories of 24 immigrants who now call the United States home. Audiences can touch each piece to hear immigrants narrate their stories. This unique piece combines traditional sewing techniques with modern storytelling, offering an emotional experience for diverse audiences.