About Farzaneh Maddahi

Event: Tussen Hemel En Horizon

Dates: 11 May 2025 - 17 Jun 2025

In this group exhibition, I presented my work alongside two other artists in the historic village of Niehove, Groningen. The exhibition Tussen Hemel en Horizon (“Between Sky and Horizon”) focused on painting the landscape surrounding Niehove, known for its wide skies, shifting light, and layered horizons.

My contribution explored the unique atmosphere of this northern Dutch landscape — the balance between land and sky, the openness of the fields, and the quiet presence of the village itself. Through oil painting, I sought to capture both the fleeting changes of light and the timeless character of the environment.

The exhibition created a dialogue between three different artistic perspectives on the same landscape, offering visitors multiple interpretations of the same place

Event: The Portraits of Honor

Dates: 7 Jan 2025 - 20 Oct 2025

The Portraits of Honor

by Farzaneh Maddahi

This series of three commissioned portraits celebrates distinguished professors of the University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), created to honor their lifetime of academic excellence upon retirement. Each portrait now permanently hangs in the historic Academy Building of the university — a space open to the public and filled with the legacy of generations of scholars.

The first painting depicts Professor Van der Schaft, a leading figure in the Faculty of Mathematics, whose calm presence and intellectual depth guided decades of research and teaching.
The second, Professor Trentelman, from the same faculty, embodies dedication, precision, and the quiet strength of a lifelong educator.
The third portrait, and one of my greatest honors to paint, portrays Professor Cisca Wijmenga, the first female Rector Magnificus of the University of Groningen — a milestone achieved after more than a century of male leadership.