The Duo
Some siblings are blessed with the gift of closeness and mutual respect. Maryam and Yousef are such a duo. Born in Tehran, Iran, they have always been staunch supporters of one another in their artistic growth. But it wasn’t until late 2017 that the two decided to combine their vastly different styles with the goal of creating art that is greater than the sum of its parts. Currently, they are based in San Francisco.
Creation Process
To create digital collages, Maryam and Yousef first scan their original artworks. Maryam’s preferred media are a mix of colored pencils, watercolors, and markers. Yousef uses both traditional and digital media for his original pieces. They then collaborate on bringing the piece together, and adjusting it as necessary. The final artwork is printed on canvas. Each piece has a minimum size, but can also be produced at larger sizes. To inquire further contact the artists.
Maryam
Influenced by eastern antique textiles, Maryam weaves intricate details into her artwork to create dynamic shapes. The resulting works are abstract; yet they have a familiar air about them.
Maryam grew up in Iran during the war, and thinking back she remembers, “ During my tense childhood days, what made me feel safe was a blank sheet of paper and a few colored pencils.” In her early teens, Maryam was trained in classical drawing by Iranian artist Manouchehr Motabar. After receiving a solid foundation, Maryam spent eight years on her own honing her craft in applying colored pencils.
In her early twenties, Maryam met the world renowned artist Parvaneh Etemadi. The mentorship that ensued lasted over a decade, and greatly influenced Maryam’s style and her approach to arts. In Maryam’s own words, “ The mentorship liberated me from the constraints of classical painting, and showed me how to express myself freely.”
Maryam’s works have been exhibited both in Iran and in the United States. These days, she is experimenting with the principle of modularity, discovering how disparate pieces can come together to create a whole.
Yousef
Yousef weaves stories with lines and colors. He is a multimedia artist, using pen and paper, as well as other media from animation to VR in order to explore different narratives. From his early days, he recalls, “Microsoft Paint was like magic because a line didn’t have to stop at the edge of my canvas. So, sometimes the real excitement was to see how a drawing would evolve beyond the frame of the initial canvas.”
Recently, Yousef has been exploring how to capture stories during live drawing sessions.
