Meet Maedeh Ojaghloo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maedeh Ojaghloo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maedeh, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve been passionate about art since I was a child, but life initially took me in a different direction. At 18, I was studying Avionics for my undergraduate degree, but around the same time, I became involved in social work — one of my first experiences was volunteering with children who had cancer. That experience opened my eyes, and it was also when I started photography.
From the beginning, photography felt like more than a creative outlet — it became a way to give voice to people who are often unheard. My passion for storytelling and my commitment to social issues naturally came together through art. Over the years, my work has focused on topics like child labor, women’s rights, and marginalized communities.
After finishing my undergrad, I pursued a Master’s in Animation to explore narrative in a new way, and later, when I moved to the U.S. in 2022, I earned an MFA in Photography and Related Media. That same year, the Women, Life, Freedom movement began in Iran. As someone who grew up there, I understood firsthand how deeply women’s lives are shaped by the regime and legal system. That led me to create Beyond Shattered Honor, a project about honor killings in Iran — not just to raise awareness, but to explore the root causes behind these injustices.
For me, art and activism have always gone hand in hand. As someone whose first language isn’t English, visual storytelling became my way to communicate across cultures, spark conversation, and educate people about social realities. Pursuing a creative career wasn’t just a choice — it was a calling.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey into art has always been deeply connected to my passion for justice and storytelling. Long before I ever called myself an artist, I was listening—sitting with people whose voices had been silenced, witnessing stories the world often ignores. It was through these encounters that I realized art can do more than represent reality—it can challenge it, disrupt it, and demand change.

As an immigrant artist whose first language is not English, I’ve always relied on visual language to speak when words felt limiting. Art has been my way of breaking barriers—of reaching people across cultures and experiences. It allows me to start conversations that might otherwise never happen. My work focuses on stories of resilience.

One of the most difficult but meaningful aspects of my work is earning trust—especially from people who have every reason not to trust the world. I’ve worked with children who had forgotten how to play, women who had lost their sense of self, and families whose pain had been ignored for generations. I don’t just document their realities; I create space for them to be seen and heard on their own terms. Whether through photography, installations, or digital archives, my work pushes back against silence.

I believe art is not just about making things look beautiful—it’s about making people uncomfortable in the right way. It’s about challenging what we think we know, pushing boundaries, and shifting perspectives. That’s what sets my work apart. It’s not just about storytelling—it’s about action.

What I’m most proud of is using art as a tool for education and empowerment. Through installations, research in media arts and social justice, and teaching, I want people to walk away from my work thinking differently—to ask new questions, feel something deeply, and recognize that they, too, have a role in shaping change.

For those discovering my work for the first time, I want them to know this: my art is not meant to be passively observed. It is meant to be felt, engaged with, and questioned. It is for those who refuse to stay silent, who believe art can be a force for justice, and who are willing to see the world as it is—and imagine how it could be different.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Maybe it sounds cliché, but first and foremost, I have to thank my family. From the very beginning, they supported me — even when I chose to pursue a career as a social activist. They taught me that life isn’t just about my own path, but about standing up for others and using my voice to defend human rights.

As an artist, I also owe so much to the people whose stories I’ve had the honor of sharing — especially children impacted by labor in Iran and Iranian women who have continued to resist systemic injustice. Their strength, their trust in me, and their resilience are what shaped my artistic career. I dedicated my solo exhibition Unseen Light in Poughkeepsie, NY to child labor, and I presented Beyond Shattered Honor, a project about honor killings in Iran, at the Dorsky Museum. These projects exist because of the people who allowed me into their lives, who gave me the gift of their stories.

Since moving to the United States, I’ve also been fortunate to find a group of mentors, advisors, and friends who have supported me as an immigrant artist. Their encouragement and belief in my work — especially in developing Beyond Shattered Honor — helped me continue creating, even in unfamiliar and challenging circumstances.
These people — my family, my subjects, and my community — have taught me about trust, truth, and responsibility. I carry their stories with me in everything I do.

As Navid Afkari — an Iranian wrestler executed for speaking out — once said: “Dear people, your silence means supporting oppression and oppressors.”

Website: https://maedehojaghloo.com

Instagram: Maedehsframe

Other: https://beyondshatteredhonor.com