Kamran Diba

Iranian · b. 1937 · Doost Art artist

Kamran Diba (b. 1937, Tehran) is an Iranian artist, architect, and urban planner whose multidisciplinary practice has played an important role in the development of modern Iranian visual culture. He began painting in the United States in the late 1950s, initially influenced by Abstract Expressionism, and later incorporated references to Iranian culture, popular imagery, collage, conceptual strategies, and social observation. Alongside his artistic practice, Diba became one of Iran’s most influential modern architects. He designed the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and served as its founding director, while major projects such as Shushtar New Town explored the relationship between modern planning, traditional Iranian urban forms, and social interaction. Painting has remained an active part of his practice throughout his career.