Maryam Mazrooei is a photographer and artist with over 15 years of journalism experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication. Although she was accepted into a PhD program in Journalism, she chose not to attend, dedicating her career to art. As a senior editor on the political desk of a reformist news agency in Iran, Maryam reported on significant moments in the region’s history, focusing on women’s rights and human resilience. Her essay on censorship in Iran won first place, and her research book, Red Lines in Iran, along with her novels The Common Lover and The Public Secret, are banned in Iran.
Alongside her journalistic and photographic work, Maryam has consistently pursued her passion for art. She has exhibited her work in watercolor and other painting styles, incorporating an artistic approach in her photography. Her artistic practice also includes illustrating children’s books, exploring storytelling in various forms. She has participated in international events such as the Ankara Art Festival, where she was a guest artist twice, and contributed to discussions on women and sustainable peace. Maryam also served as a lecturer at the ninth International General Art Assembly in Turkey and spoke at the International Association of Artists’ general conference in Istanbul in 2023.
Since 2012, Maryam has traveled to Afghanistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria, documenting the realities faced by people in conflict zones with a focus on displacement, violence, and survival. In 2016, after two years of photographing in Afghanistan, she traveled to Iraq before the joint operation in Mosul against ISIS. Although much of her work on ISIS rape victims was lost while fleeing the conflict zone, her remaining images have been widely recognized for their portrayal of real-life events.
In addition to her photojournalism, Maryam has been involved in supporting refugee women, educating young Afghan refugees, and assisting maltreated girls in Iran through art. In 2020, she was accepted into the Spéos photography program in Paris, but Iranian authorities confiscated her passport, preventing her from attending. In 2022, during the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution, she was arrested for participating in street protests and collaborating with The Guardian, which led to her exile.
After being released from prison, Maryam relocated to Istanbul, where she participated in an art residency and exhibited her work at Depo gallery and the USPD gallery. Currently, she is working on a mixed-media project about women and nature, combining painting, sculpture, and photography. Her work in illustrating children’s books and exhibitions in watercolor reflects her engagement with both art and storytelling.