Nasrin Shaygan Maher

Nasrin Shayegan Maher is a graduate of Textile and Fashion Design from the University of Art in Tehran. Her artistic journey took a more serious direction after gaining hands-on experience with traditional weaving looms, natural dyeing techniques, metal printing, and silk screen printing. Since 2010, she has consistently participated in numerous exhibitions both in Iran and internationally.

Following extensive research on the nearly forgotten Iranian technique of Kalamkari printing, she focused on dyeing with pomegranate peel and madder root to revive the traditional black and red tones. Through multiple field visits to the town of Khorzouq near Isfahan, she succeeded in restoring this printing method in its original and authentic form on cotton and silk fabrics by 2011. Her Kalamkari works in both cotton and silk were exhibited at the Kobe Fashion Museum in Japan, where they received significant attention.

Her works have since been showcased in various exhibitions across countries such as Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and Iran. In 2018 and 2020, she was honored with the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Handicrafts (WCC Asia-Pacific) twice, in the category of block printing and Kalamkari painting. She holds a Level 2 Art Degree and has received eight National Seals of Excellence from Iran. Her creations have been featured in prestigious exhibitions and are preserved in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Iranian Ministry of Handicrafts, the Iwatate Textile Museum in Japan, the Bukhara Museum in Uzbekistan, and in private collections.

Nasrin’s work is distinguished by a deep commitment to environmental preservation, the use of local and natural resources, innovation, creativity, and an accurate revival of the authentic Kalamkari art form.