2025 Stephen Fleischman Lectureship with Amir H. Fallah

Amir H. Fallah
2025 Stephen Fleischman Lectureship

Thursday, May 22 •  Free Admission

Los Angeles-based artist Amir H. Fallah creates paintings, murals, sculptures, and installations that explore systems of representation embedded in the history of Western Art. In his ornate environments, Fallah often disrupts expectations of representation in portraiture with images of the main sitter being amended or replaced by a system of signs and symbols related to the sitter’s identity(ies). Often his figures’ faces are covered with ornamented veils. The deliberate and meticulous use of patterns and ornamentation is a pervasive characteristic of Fallah’s oeuvre, resulting in a collection of vibrant and richly detailed images.

Born in Tehran in 1979, Fallah and his family left shortly after the Islamic Revolution, eventually settling in northern Virginia, outside of Washington, DC. When autobiographical, his work addresses generational immigrant experiences of movement, trauma, and celebration.

Neither of this world nor the next, Fallah’s works reside in the liminal space of being Othered. They utilize personal history as an entry point to discuss race, representation, and the memories of cultures and countries left behind. Through this process, the artist’s works employ nuanced and emotive narratives that evoke an inquiry about identity, the immigrant experience, and the history of portraiture.

5 PM • Reception • Museum Lobby • Free Admission
Mingle with friends old and new before the lecture as you enjoy a beverage from the cash bar. 

6 PM • Public Lecture • Lecture Hall • Free Admission
Listen as Amir H. Fallah shares insight and inspiration into his artistic practice.

Space is limited for this free lecture and advance registration is strongly encouraged. Registration begins in April.

About Amir H. Fallah

(b. 1979, Tehran, Iran; Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA) received his BFA in Fine Art & Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art and his MFA in painting at the University of California, Los Angeles. Fallah was the founder and creative director of art & design publication Beautiful/Decay from 1996-2013. He has exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions across the United States and abroad. Selected solo exhibitions include the Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, AZ; South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings SD; Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland OR; San Diego ICA; and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland KS

About the Stephen Fleischman Lectureship

The Stephen Fleischman Lectureship honors the 25th anniversary of Fleischman’s tenure as MMoCA’s director. An endowment provides for an annual lecture by individuals who have made exceptional contributions to art and culture. Talks organized for the Stephen Fleischman Lectureship are held each year in the spring and have free admission, in recognition of the Museum’s dedication to providing access to opportunities for learning and enrichment.