MFA 2026 Artists MFA 2026 Artists: Arghavan Booyeh

About Arghavan Booyeh

Arghavan Booyeh is an Iranian-born fiber artist whose work blends technical craftsmanship, storytelling, and cultural memory. Currently completing an MFA in Fibers at UMass Dartmouth, Arghavan also teaches Weaving and foundation-level 3D Form and Space courses. With a master's degree in law from China, her artistic practice centered on social justice, women's rights, and equality.

Arghavan’s sculptural works are rooted in fiber techniques such as weaving and expanded through diverse materials, honoring women as agents of strength and transformation. Recent exhibitions include the Convergence International Fiber Conference in Wichita, Kansas; the New Bedford Art Museum; the Menino Arts Center, MA; and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, where Arghavan completed a three-month artist residency (2025) alongside a series of community focused workshops.

Statement

Woven Courage 

My practice centers on fiber art, a medium that lets me merge techniques with storytelling rooted in my cultural heritage. Textiles embody the duality of women's artistry, delicate yet resilient, soft yet powerful. 

Grounded in my background in law, my work engages themes of human rights, women's rights, and equality. I use the Cypress (Sarv) and paisley (Botteh) as metaphors for heroic women fighting for freedom in Iran. Through symbols deeply tied to Iranian history, my sculptures reflect transformation, grief, resistance, and strength. I honor paisley’s nomadic of transformation as a symbol of ongoing resistance and evolving hope. 

A central paradox in my work is the expectation that women must do everything at once mother, professor, artist, activist. Through maximalism and hyperbolic forms, I highlight this resilience while exposing how women bend under these pressures, often without support. My pieces hold both extraordinary capability and the unsustainable burden within the same visual space. 

Despite the weight of injustice, the fiery spirit endures; my weaving honors the bravery and hope of a generation challenging restrictive beliefs. Each thread becomes a quiet protest for autonomy, equality, and compassion echoing a lineage of strength that transcends borders. 

Website: arghavanbooyeh.com