“Being an artist is pouring one’s soul onto the canvas, carving it into a stone or molding it into clay. It is being able to free the mind to create beauty, to create mysteries and, to create long-lasting emotion and passion for the viewer.”
— AAZAM IRILIAN
Aazam Irilian is a Los Angeles-based contemporary abstract artist whose layered, translucent paintings explore the invisible energies and hidden dimensions that exist beyond immediate perception. A Kipaipai Fellow since 2020, she has been a three-time grant recipient of the Quick Grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI). She has been awarded residencies from the Dorland Foundation, ShoeboxLA, and the Château d'Orquevaux in France.
Irilian's works have been exhibited nationally and are held in private collections across the United States, France, and Iran. Solo exhibitions include "Beyond the Veil: Luminous Realms," Antelope Valley College Art Gallery, Lancaster, CA (2025), "Preserved Memories," Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA (2024), and "Stillness In Chaos," Poway Center for the Performing Arts, San Diego, CA (2024). Recent group exhibitions include Artist Alliance Biennial, Oceanside Museum of Art, CA (2025), ColorStraction, Sasse Museum of Art, Pomona, CA (2025), and Gallery Diderot, Château d'Orquevaux, France (2025).
Irilian is also expanding her practice into curatorial work — she is the sole curator of Voices Beyond Boundaries: Bridges Built in Brushstrokes, opening May 2026 at Sasse Museum of Art. Forthcoming exhibitions include a solo presentation at the Museum of Art & History (MOAH), Lancaster, CA (2026), and a group exhibition at the Bakersfield Museum of Art (2027).
Her work has been featured in A Century of CA Women Artists (2021), Voyage LA (2021), and Art & Beyond Magazine (2020). Originally from Iran, Irilian has resided in Southern California for over forty years. She holds a Master of Arts in Studio Art from California State University, Northridge, and was an art educator for over 30 years.