Biography

Mitra Samimi–Urich is a Vermont-based Iranian American multidisciplinary artist and poet, she works across various mediums, including acrylic and ink on linen, paper, and panel. Her style moves between surrealism, modern realism, and abstraction, exploring themes of identity, transformation, and cultural connection through subjects of displacement. She often blends her poetry into her paintings through a modern interpretation of Persian calligraphy. Drawing on her lived experiences in Iran and America, her work bridges Eastern and Western philosophies as she reflects on the shared human desire for connection, liberty, and peace.

She was born in Tehran, Iran. After spending her early childhood there, her family permanently relocated to the ancient city of Isfahan, known for its rich traditions of architecture, music, and literature. The city’s historic domes, rivers, tree-lined streets, and lush Persian gardens created an enriching environment that instilled in her, at an early age, a passion for the arts. At age 17, she attended the Art School of Isfahan, where she studied art and architectural design. Following the Iranian regime change, Mitra moved to the United States and continued her education at the University of Massachusetts.

After completing her studies, she began teaching architectural design at Hall Institute of Technology in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Later, she moved to Vermont, where, for the next five years, she worked as a designer for several reputable architectural firms. In 2001, Mitra founded her own design studio, www.mitradesigns.com. Her Architectural background is evident in her artwork, where the principles of shape, form, color, and scale flow seamlessly, giving her work a strong visual presence. Mitra also credits her years of experience running a design business with shaping her professionalism as an artist. 

Over the past decade, she has dramatically scaled back her design business to devote herself fully to her art practice. During this time, she has developed a diverse body of work that spans surrealist painting and contemporary mixed-media pieces incorporating poetry, Persian calligraphy, intricate ink work, and some three-dimensional elements.

Mitra’s work is an important voice in contemporary art because it speaks directly to some of the most urgent human realties of our time: Displacement, identity, memory, freedom and cultural survival. Her work is especially relevant today because it reflects the emotional and psychological experience of immigration and exile.

Her work has been featured in several publications, and she has participated in a residency at the Vermont Studio Center. She has also been the recipient of several grants in support of her artistic practice.

Mitra enjoys spending time with her family and takes pride in her daughter’s natural talent in filmmaking and the arts. Her daughter, Sierra Urich, is a filmmaker with Joonam Film. Mitra is also a passionate gardener who finds inspiration in nature and the outdoors, which deeply influence both her art and poetry.

Artist's Statement

My art is a philosophical journey rooted in my Persian heritage and cross-cultural immigrant experience. I transform childhood memories and personal narratives into visual stories that connect with nature, explore human consciousness, and challenge oppressive social systems.

Having grown up in Iran, my work serves as a vital platform to express frustrations regarding human rights and the oppression of women.

Poetry has always been a powerful way for me to explore memory, emotion, and identity. It connects me to my ancestry, while the rhythmic, spontaneous movement of Persian calligraphy allows line and form to flow dynamically across the canvas. In my work, poetry and painting become inseparable.

Some of my pieces incorporate the written word directly, while others are created without text. Even when words are absent, I try to convey the same poetic sense of rhythm, movement, and flow through imagery, line, and form.

I experiment with various mediums to create specific visual and textural moods. I primarily use Acrylics, ink, and detailed pen or pencil drawings. I also experiment with other mediums such as watercolor, pastels, beeswax, natural dyes, textiles, and other materials.