Landless is a body of work that explores the intersection of material and meaning through contemporary mixed-media art, centered on water concept as a metaphor for the fluidity of identity.The project is informed by my personal experience of migration and displacement and examines how identity and a sense of belonging are continuously shaped and transformed through our relationship with place — much like water, which is perpetually in motion and flux.

This collection is further shaped by my current life in Buffalo, a city defined by the flow of the Erie River, as well as by memories of growing up near a large lake. These lived experiences intersect with frameworks of psychogeography, place-memory, and displacement, all of which continue to inform and shape my artistic practice.

Nature, in its entirety, is in a constant state of movement and 

transformation; this dynamic quality weaves together material, time, and lived experience. Water, as one of the fundamental elements of nature, functions not only as a direct metaphor for the fluidity of identity and the condition of being landless, but also as a cosmic substance whose origins extend beyond earthly boundaries. Moving across continents through its natural cycle, water becomes a mirror reflecting my personal experience of geographic displacement.

The series presents various states of water, ranging from stillness to turbulent waves, through two large-scale installations, a drawing, and a stop-motion video. In one of the large-scale installations, I used the cyanotype technique on paper and collaged the prints onto more than one thousand pieces of wood, forming a symbolic reference to Niagara Falls. In the cyanotype process to produce this artwork, glass played a crucial role in transforming the drawing on paper, and because the process itself unfolds in liquid, this work led me to develop a new approach using glass in a subsequent large-scale installation.

Like water, glass exists in a fluid and unstable state through processes such as blowing, casting, and collage. Moreover, both glass and water also possess reflective properties capable of mirroring their surroundings. This shared quality deepens their conceptual connection and invites the viewer into a space of introspection and mental reflection. I therefore chose glass as the primary material and as a direct metaphor for water in the second large-scale installation.

In front of this installation, and at the center of a space scaled to match the size of glass artwork, a small drawing featuring the same pattern will be displayed, emphasizing the original idea and the transformation from the original drawing to the large-scale glass installation.

Artist Bio

Marjan Khorramgolkaran is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Tehran, and currently based in Buffalo, New York. She is actively engaged in the Western New York arts community while pursuing her second Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. She holds a master’s degree in Painting and a bachelor’s degree in Textile and Fashion Design from the University of Art in Tehran.

Marjan's artistic practice translates nature and the concept of "land" into a visual language. She approaches her subjects from an anthropological perspective rather than through emotional attachment alone, challenging conventional notions of landscape while exploring the dimensions of place, identity, and belonging. Her work incorporates a wide range of materials and techniques, including drawing, painting, photography, experimental 16mm film, ceramics, jewelry making, and sculpture, to examine these concepts.

Her professional trajectory includes significant achievements in teaching, exhibitions, and research. She has extensive experience teaching in academic settings, including the SUNY University at Buffalo, and has participated as an invited artist in several residencies, such as the Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, NY, and the Openings Residency in Lake George, NY. In addition, she has served as a selected juror for multiple art competitions. Her work has been exhibited widely and published in international books, catalogs, and magazines.

Recent selected exhibitions include the Sylvia L. Rosen Craft Art Biennial 2025-2026 at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, New York, the Punto y Raya Festival 2025 Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria (Selected Artist out of over 600 eligible submissions from 57 countries), the Annual Golden Ticket Exhibition 2025 at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (Selected Artist out of over 400 eligible submissions), I\'M SCARED TOO Group Exhibition 2025 at the Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, New York, Brockport Art Festival 2025 in Brockport, New York, 2025 Regional 90 at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, 2025 Media Study Student Show Project at the SUNY University at Buffalo, New York, First Annual Art Show 2025 at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, Group Exhibition 2025 at CEPA Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, 2024 Printmakers Showcase at PGNY (Printmakers Guild of New York) in Troy, New York, Exchange Group Exhibition 2021 at the Academie Voor Beeldende Kunsten in Ghent, Belgium, and more.

Marjan has also received multiple scholarships and awards supporting her ongoing artistic research and practice in the United States, including First and Second Place in the Jewelry and Sculpture sections at the 57th Annual Keuka Lake Art Show in 2025, Second Place in the Jewelry section at the 56th Annual Keuka Lake Art Show in 2024, First Place for Young Filmmakers across Iran for her video art in 2013, among others.

Instagram: @marjankaran