artist bio

Arghavan Booyeh, born in 1983, began her creative journey long before becoming a fiber artist. She first earned a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, followed by a bachelor’s in law. Alongside her academic path, she remained deeply engaged with craft especially textiles. She practiced fashion design and garment construction at Termeh Fashion House, and self-study from family so many textile techniques such as knitting, embroidery, crochet macrame, etc. Continually creating wearable pieces, accessories, and home décor as a personal practice. For five years, she also performed as an alto singer with the Mehr-e Vatan Ensemble, appearing in numerous concerts and festivals.

After moving to China to pursue her master’s degree in law, she realized she could not continue a life separated from art. She returned to making, exploring conceptual approaches to fiber and textiles. This shift ultimately led her to the United States to pursue an MFA in Fibers and Textile Arts.

Arghavan Booyeh is a fiber artist whose work explores cultural heritage, resilience, and social justice through the language of textiles. Born in Iran and now based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she brings together a multidisciplinary background in law and the arts to create work that speaks to women’s rights, freedom, and transformation. Currently an MFA candidate in Fibers and Textile Arts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Booyeh integrates traditional techniques such as weaving, embroidery, and sculptural textiles with contemporary storytelling.

Her practice often incorporates Iranian visual motifs, including the Cypress and paisley, enduring symbols of liberty and adaptation. Through these forms, she constructs narratives that honor the strength of women as both mourners and agents of change, weaving metaphors of resilience into physical form. Her fiber sculptures and tapestries echo the struggles and hopes of those challenging established norms while celebrating continuity, memory, and transformation across cultures.

In addition to her studio practice, she leads community workshops and collaborative projects, using fiber as a medium for connection and dialogue. She has facilitated weaving and embroidery workshops at the Whaling Museum National Historical Park and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, creating opportunities for participants to reflect on identity, storytelling, and collective resilience.

Arghavan’s work has been exhibited throughout Massachusetts, including at the New Bedford Art Museum, Kettle Black Gallery, and multiple exhibitions at the Whaling Museum National Historical Park, where she also served as an Artist-in-Residence. She has contributed to large-scale public art and interdisciplinary initiatives such as DATMA’s Share Your Pride and the Harbor of Hope resilience project in New Bedford.

Through her art and community engagement, Arghavan weaves together threads of tradition and transformation, creating spaces where resilience, justice, and cultural memory are preserved, reimagined, and shared.