Jaleh A. Etemad

Artist Statement

I am a multi-media collage artist and layerist, creating mixed media paintings and three-dimensional works with hidden meanings. I am an eclectic artist. I thrive in discovering new ways to explore and express myself in my art. My objective is to make art that is both revealing and accessible but also acts as a muse for the viewer. I gather my inspiration from people, books, dreams, and unexpected emotions to weave visual stories filled with layers of meaning. I paint and layer onto my canvases many symbols and a variety of media, such as fragments of maps, letters, ancient inscriptions, photos both found and self-taken, found objects and mementos, pieces of glass, netting, and contemporary poetry.

I enjoy exploring different styles and experimenting with diverse materials, always following my instincts. I believe in what comes from within. I paint in series, with different themes. My motivation is not only getting in touch with my feelings, but also creating thought-provoking pieces for the viewer. It is my hope that the spark of life within the created forms will provoke inquiry into the realms of emotion and intellect.

Biography

Born in Azerbaijan, Iran, Jaleh pursued higher education in London, England, obtaining a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Technology and an M.S. in Electron Microscopy. She worked for eight years in Cancer Research until moving to the U.S. in 1970, where she rediscovered her childhood passion and became committed to the academic, personal, and professional pursuit of art.

Since receiving her B.A. with a concentration in Painting from California State University, Northridge in 1986, her work has been widely exhibited in California, New Mexico, Hawaii, New York, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and Wyoming, and internationally in Paris, Stockholm, Oslo, Rome, Venice, and Beijing. Jaleh is a longtime member of the international Alliance of Women Artists (AWA) and of The Society of Layerists in Multi-Media (SLMM), for which she served as President from 2013 to 2018. She serves as a Commissioner and former Chair of the Heritage & Arts Commission of the Town of Tiburon, California.

Jaleh has won numerous awards and was selected as the Town of Tiburon’s Artist Laureate from 2012 to 2016, bringing art understanding and appreciation to the community where she resides. As her culminating project, she created the book I Remember When…: Stories of the Tiburon Peninsula, co-edited with Joan Palmero. Jaleh’s artwork is also included in 100 Women Artists; International Women Artists, Vol. 1 and 2; Visual Journeys: Art in the 21st Century; and Unique Insights, co-editor (SLMM).

Jaleh’s latest project is the publication of her retrospective book Art of Life: Works by Jaleh Azar Etemad, a hardcover collection of nearly 300 art pieces from over forty-five years of artistic exploration, grouped by series and genre, replete with personal stories that together chronicle the genesis of her body of work. (Available on Amazon and at MOS 2026.)

http://www.jalehetemad.com

Art Medium(s)

Oil Paint, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, Pastel, Drawing, Digital Art, Photography, Prints and Printmaking, Mixed Media

Group Exhibitions

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (2025-26):

Selections from the Book Art of Life: Works by Jaleh Azar Etemad

September 18, 2025 to January 18, 2026

Community Gallery, Archbishop Alemany Library, Dominican University of California
50 Acacia Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
Open to the Public: Mon–Thurs 8am–5pm, Friday 9am–5pm

Art of Life Exhibition & Book Launch

November 3 to December 1, 2025

Opening Reception with Meet-the-Artist Conversation & Book Signing:
Friday, Nov. 7th, 2025, from 6–8pm

Tiburon Town Hall Lobby & Council Chambers, 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920
Open to the Public: Mon–Thurs 8am–5pm,
Closed every Friday except Opening on Nov 7th

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SELECT NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS (1993 – 2023):

Breaking Barriers: The Art of Iran at Sausalito Center for the Arts, CA (2023).

Timeless Themes of the Persian Perspective at Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA (2019).

Layers of Meaning – Mixed Media Art by Jaleh Etemad, Solo retrospective show at Belvedere Tiburon Library Foundation Room, CA (2019).

Gala for the Arts of NMD Foundation – Persian Women Artists at Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA (2018).

9th Annual Altered Book Exhibit & Fundraiser at Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA (2018).

Layered Art – Artistic Interpretation of 12th century poem Golistan, Solo show at Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA (2016).

The Art of Life, Solo retrospective show in the inaugural year of The Soraya Art Gallery (Valley Performing Arts Center) of California State University, Northridge (2011).

International Women Artists at Club France Amérique, Paris, France (2010).

Exploring Multiple Dimensions at Albuquerque Museum, Dept. of Arts & Culture, City of Albuquerque, NM (2007).

Alliance of Women Artists Exhibition at Espace Châtelet Victoria, 19 Av. Victoria, Paris, France (2007).

Beyond Persia at Gallery One, Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA (2006).

Alliance of Women Artists Exhibition at Galleria Tondinelli, Rome, Italy (2005).

Celebrations… – Mixed Media Collage Paintings by Jaleh A. Etemad, Solo show at Seyhoun Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2005).

International Alliance of Women Artists Presents at Oslo City Hall (Oslo rådhus), Oslo, Norway (2004).

Fire in the Heart: The Creative Process at Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, Oregon (2003).

Collage – International Art Exhibition at Art Addiction Gallery, Palazzo Correr, Venice, Italy (2002).

Sight and Insight, Solo show for World Students Scholarship Fund at World Automation Congress, Maui, Hawaii (2000).

Art Contemporain (1999) and Les Americaines (1997) at Galerie EVERARTS, Paris, France.

Most Talented Artists, Recipient of Merit Award for Best in Show for “The Bridge…”, at Art Addiction International Gallery, City Hall (Stadshuset), Stockholm, Sweden (1997).

Ancient Egypt, Solo show at Bechtel International Center at Stanford University, CA (1996).

Illuminations, Past and Present, Solo show at Mill Valley Art Commission at Mill Valley City Hall, CA (1996).

The World’s Women On-Line Internet Show, Historically the first instance artwork displayed virtually for viewing in-person at a gallery (without the presence of physical artwork), Alliance of Women Artists exhibition, Beijing, China (1995).

Les Femmes Fatales, Solo show at Bucci’s Green Room Gallery, Emeryville, CA (1995).

Figure Paintings, First solo show at Branson Gallery, Ross, CA (1993).

Publications

Art of Life: Works by Jaleh Azar Etemad, Published August 2025 by Atar Art Press.

“Multi-media layerist Jaleh Azar Etemad unveils her stunning collection of nearly 300 luminous art pieces, chronicling the genesis of her body of work from over forty-five years of artistic exploration.”

Available on Amazon and from the artist at 2026 Marin Open Studios.

Learn more at jalehetemad.com/book

Awards

SELECT AWARDS:

Artist Laureate of the Town of Tiburon, 2012-2016, awarded by the Heritage & Arts Commission of the Town of Tiburon.

Winner of Belvedere Community Foundation’s Photo Contest 2013 for “Untitled”: Gifted as 2013 Heritage Preservation Award by Tiburon’s Heritage & Arts Commission to Landmarks Society’s Jack Fiorito, Head Docent of Belvedere’s China Cabin.

Tiburon Arts Festival 2007 Jury Winner for her layered photograph on mulberry paper “Forest at Dawn…LF #1”: Juried piece by Mr. Kenneth Baker, Art critic of SF Chronicle newspaper, and Dr. Lynn Orr, Curator of European Paintings of Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at the inaugural Tiburon Arts Festival.

Recipient of Merit Award for Best in Show for her oil painting “The Bridge…” in the exhibition Most Talented Artists at Art Addiction International Gallery, City Hall (Stadshuset), Stockholm, Sweden, 1997.