Maedeh Ojaghloo is a Multimedia artist and social activist based in USA. She holds an MA in Animation from Maziar Higher Education Institute and an MFA in Photography and Related Media from SUNY New Paltz. Her work, shaped by years of activism and story collection, draws on the cultural and political landscapes of Iran, reinterpreted through her immigrant experience. Maedeh creates multimedia installations using archival materials to explore themes of state violence, gender inequality, and silenced voices. She views art as activism—a way to build dialogue and awareness. Her project Beyond Shattered Honor was exhibited at the Dorsky Museum.
Solo Exhibitions and Installations
2025 Unseen Light, Art Centro Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
Time Keepers, Sojourner Truth Library Gallery, New Paltz, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions and Installations
2025 Unseen Light| California Museum of Photography| CA
Bigger & Better| Tarleton State University| Fort Worth, TX
What I'm Thankful For| Lenscratch
Ghosts, Goblins & Other Apparitions Exhibition| Lenscratch
2024 Beyond Shattered Honor, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY.
U Explore, UNISON Art Center, New Paltz, NY.
Polymerization, International Artists Exhibition, Barrett House Gallery, Poughkeepsie,NY.
Exit Exhibition, Art Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Tea Talk Art Exhibition, Poughkeepsie, NY.
SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government , Albany, NY.
Chancellor's Gallery , Albany, NY. ( Best of SUNY)
2023 Self Discovery, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY.
Joy, UNISON Art Center, New Paltz, NY.
Flashpoint, Las Laguna Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
Picturing Plurality, Full Circle Fine Art, Baltimore, MD.
Show Up, Dorsky Museums, New Paltz, NY.
Composium, UNISON Art Center, New Paltz, NY.
Wish You Were Here, Yale school of Art, New Haven, CT.
On the Way, Gallery 40, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Path, PUF Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Document Show, Sojourner Truth Library, New Paltz, NY.
2022 Time and Space, The Station Art Center, Cleveland, OH.
Show Up!, Dorsky Museums, New Paltz, NY.
Sojourner Truth Library Show, New Paltz, NY.
Bigger & Better| Tarleton State University| Fort Worth, TX
What I'm Thankful For| Lenscratch
Ghosts, Goblins & Other Apparitions Exhibition| Lenscratch
2024 Beyond Shattered Honor, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY.
U Explore, UNISON Art Center, New Paltz, NY.
Polymerization, International Artists Exhibition, Barrett House Gallery, Poughkeepsie,NY.
Exit Exhibition, Art Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Tea Talk Art Exhibition, Poughkeepsie, NY.
SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government , Albany, NY.
Chancellor's Gallery , Albany, NY. ( Best of SUNY)
2023 Self Discovery, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY.
Joy, UNISON Art Center, New Paltz, NY.
Flashpoint, Las Laguna Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
Picturing Plurality, Full Circle Fine Art, Baltimore, MD.
Show Up, Dorsky Museums, New Paltz, NY.
Composium, UNISON Art Center, New Paltz, NY.
Wish You Were Here, Yale school of Art, New Haven, CT.
On the Way, Gallery 40, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Path, PUF Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Document Show, Sojourner Truth Library, New Paltz, NY.
2022 Time and Space, The Station Art Center, Cleveland, OH.
Show Up!, Dorsky Museums, New Paltz, NY.
Sojourner Truth Library Show, New Paltz, NY.
Jurors and Review Experience
2025 Society of Photographic Education Film festival, Jurors of Documentary movies
Society of Photographic Education Film festival, Jurors of Animation
Society of Photographic Education, Portfolio Reviewer, Dallas, TX
2024 Society of Photographic Education, Portfolio Reviewer , Gresham, OR.
Society of Photographic Education Film festival, Jurors of Animation
Society of Photographic Education, Portfolio Reviewer, Dallas, TX
2024 Society of Photographic Education, Portfolio Reviewer , Gresham, OR.
Conferences and Artist Talks.
2025 Society of Photographic Education( SPE), Chapter Conference, Riverside, CA
Invited Speaker, "Photographing Conflict", Society for Photographic Education (SPE)
2024 Center for photography of Woodstock( CPW), Artist Talk, Kingston, NY
Society of Photographic Education( SPE), Chapter Conference, Gresham, OR.
Society of Photographic Education( SPE), Chapter Conference, Ogden, UT.
Invited Speaker, "Photographing Conflict", Society for Photographic Education (SPE)
2024 Center for photography of Woodstock( CPW), Artist Talk, Kingston, NY
Society of Photographic Education( SPE), Chapter Conference, Gresham, OR.
Society of Photographic Education( SPE), Chapter Conference, Ogden, UT.
Selected Grants and Honors
2023 Raising HOPE Community Scholarship, United Way, Ulster County, NY
Residency and Fellowship
Upcoming-2026 Vermont Studio Center(VSC), Film and Digital media residency
Teaching ExperienceFall 2024-2025 Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY| Adjunct Faculty, Course: 2-Dimensional Design
2023- 2025 SUNY New Paltz, NY| Invited Instructor, Course: Introduction to Studio Art, Introduction to Video Editing
Winter 2024 D.R.A.W, Kingston, NY| Instructor, Courses: Stop-Motion Level: Grades 5-8, Adult
Fall 2022 SUNY New Paltz, NY| Teaching Assistant, Course: Design Form: Color
Industry Experience
2025- Current Social Media Representative, Multicultural Caucus, Society for Photographic Education( SPE)
2025- Current UI/ UX Designer, Content Creator, Openbook, Indianapolis, IN
2015-Current Independent Photographer
2015-Current Independent Motion and Graphic Designer
2021- 2022 Project Manager/ Coordinator, Association for Protection of Child Laborers, Tehran, Iran
2018- 2020 UI Designer/ Journal Editor, Conference Secretariat, Tehran, Iran
Movie Experience
2025 Cinematographer, Digital Age Academy Inc, Citizen Science Series, Ep 2, New York, NY
2023 Storyboard Artist, 3 Month and 10 days, Tehran, Iran| Accepted in Marketing Catalogue for the 2024 edition of the SFC
2020- 2022 Backstage Photographer, Cracked, The Chain Tehran, Iran
Assistant Experience
06/2024-12/2024 Gallery Assistant, Ann Street Gallery, Newburgh, NY
2022-2024 Graduate Assistant, Photography Lab Assistant, Teaching Assistant, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY
Summer 2023 Gallery Assistant, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY
Education
2022-2024 M.F.A. in Photography and Related Media, State University of New York at New Paltz
2019-2022 M.A. in Animation, Maziyar Higher Education Institute, Mazandaran, Iran
2016-2019 B.E. in Avionic, University of Applied Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
Certificate
2026 CITI Program: Responsible Conduct of Research and Human Subjects Research, Texas Tech University.
2025 VR and 360 Video Production, Google Digital Academy.
Adobe Graphic Designer: Design that Demands Attention (AI), Adobe.
2020 Animation Certificate, Tehran Institute of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
2025 VR and 360 Video Production, Google Digital Academy.
Adobe Graphic Designer: Design that Demands Attention (AI), Adobe.
2020 Animation Certificate, Tehran Institute of Technology, Tehran, Iran.