ShowUp Presents Maryam Safajoo: Repetitious Insecurity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 28, Boston – ShowUp is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, Repetitious Insecurity, a solo exhibition of works by Persian-American painter and activist Maryam Safajoo. Repetitious Insecurity will run from June 6th - July 20th, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Friday, June 6th, 2025 from 5pm to 8pm.
Maryam Safajoo's narrative paintings are meticulous recreations of her interviews with victims of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the 1979 revolution. They powerfully illustrate the systemic persecution and repression of fellow members of the Baha'i faith. In many cases, these paintings are the sole visual testament to the mental anguish and physical torture the individuals depicted endured. The accompanying narratives expand upon the images and illustrate that while the story is told by a survivor, they also memorialize strength, bravery and community. Lacking photographic documentation, Safajoo’s unique artistic and narrative representation shows a campaign of religious persecution and extermination, largely confined to the memories of survivors. Safajoo's extensive collection of paintings and narratives are both an invaluable historical record and a visually compelling collection.
Rooted in a rigorous, journalistic approach, Safajoo’s paintings start with an interview of people who were near or involved in the actual events depicted. She employs a network of family and community connections in Iran, some of whom are currently imprisoned, to ensure factual accuracy. At once deeply personal and political, this artwork seeks to shed light on political oppression in Iran, embodying, as Safajoo says, “the pain of one is the pain of all.” The exhibition extends beyond paintings, incorporating both the harrowing narratives and personal artifacts of the subjects, creating a powerful and intimate connection with the experiences.
Safajoo’s ongoing efforts illustrate how important and influential art can be as a visual medium for recording historical moments. Working independently, this artist has captured a history that could have otherwise been visually lost in time, begging the question of how powerful our creativity might be when collectively harnessed to record the past or forge a future brighter than what we have today.
About the Artist
Maryam Safajoo is a Tufts University alumni, a Persian American painter based in the United States and graduated with an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston. Her paintings narrate the stories of the contemporary situation of the systematic persecution of the Iranian Baha’i community after the 1979 Iranian revolution. She explores women's rights, cultural behavior and responses toward violence and human rights violations to encourage conversations that challenge the lack of representation of ethical behavior, people and voices in our global consciousness while highlighting the necessity of freedom of thought and expression.
About ShowUp
ShowUp is a 501c3-designated art activism-focused exhibition, education, and community-building space, creating an innovative environment for underrepresented artists' voices and visions. It exhibits art activists and engages in its own art activism. ShowUp promotes its mission via its “Three Es": Exhibitions, Education, and Engagement.
Its mission is to
CONNECT artists to local communities and beyond
AMPLIFY artists and their voices
PROVIDE artists tools for self-sufficiency
EMPOWER artists and curators to experiment, learn, and have meaningful exchanges
Learn more on its website and Instagram.
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