Farnaz Zabetian is a contemporary painter known for her dreamlike portraits of women, reflecting the inner and outer lives of today’s real women.

Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1976, Farnaz began painting long before earning her degree in painting from the University of Art, Tehran. Alongside her professional work, she taught at several universities. Inspired by poetry, color, and everyday womanhood, she seeks a shared space between words and form, blending the realities of life with poetic critique through paint.

Her paintings are authentic and open-ended—visual journeys without fixed destinations. Early abstract works evolved into images of fish and women with elongated necks, symbolizing the long path toward self-expression. Despite themes of pain and limitation, her figures radiate beauty, poetry, and resilience.

After leaving Iran for Paris in 2012, Farnaz settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, devoting herself fully to painting and poetry. She is an associate member of the Society of California Art Club and the Society of Iran’s Painters. Her work has been exhibited at the San Francisco Art Fair and the Peninsula Museum of Art and featured in BBC Persian’s Tamasha. Her poetry book was published by Butimar Press in 2017. Farnaz also paints large-scale murals in cities like San Francisco and New York, including along the Bay Area’s Market Street.

On Nov. 20, meet Farnaz and other art enthusiasts from 6:00PM - 9:00PM, at a special after hours event while enjoying lite snacks and our no-host bar.