MAJI

My Story

I have always had a strong imagination.

I grew up in Iran, where girls had fewer opportunities to live freely than boys. Much of my childhood was spent studying, reading and painting. My father was my hero and role model. He treated me as an equal to my brothers and gave me the wings to fly.

Even as a child, I created my own worlds through drawing and painting. It became a way for me to imagine, understand and remember.

After 24 years in Iran, I moved to Sweden. Life changed. I became a mother, built a career and adapted to a new society. Somewhere along the way, I stopped painting.

For 26 years, I didn’t make art.

My two daughters were, and still are, the lights in my life.

In 2019, after moving to a new home, I started looking at paintings for our walls. Seeing simple, beautiful works, I thought:

“I can do this.”

Then the pandemic came. Suddenly, I had more time at home, and the isolation brought back memories of how I had felt as a young girl.

So I started painting again.

At first, I copied paintings I admired. Then I began changing them, experimenting with materials and adding my own ideas.

Gradually, I started adding a piece of myself to every painting.

That first painting after 26 years became the beginning of my return to art.

Why Maji?

Maji was born before I became an artist again.

When I was a young mother raising two girls, I wanted to be more than the strict mother who always told them what they should and shouldn’t do. I wanted to make them laugh.

So I created Maji.

Maji was an imaginary spirit, a playful young girl who would take over when life became too serious. When Maji appeared, we could do silly things: drive around making jokes, have ice cream before dinner, dance, sing and simply make life more fun.

My daughters would call for Maji whenever they wanted me to colour life a little differently.

That is why I chose Maji as my artist name; inspired by spirituality, imagination and fun.

Artistic Practice

My work is an ongoing exploration rather than a fixed style.

I like to experiment with different techniques, materials, colours and forms. I have worked with oil, acrylic and watercolour, and increasingly with texture, mesh, spackle and gold leaf.

I am particularly drawn to surfaces that have something to discover. A painting should not only be about colour or an image; I want the viewer to experience its surface, material and details.

I am still finding my style. And I enjoy that process.