Marjan Vafaeian has about 25 years of work experience, but her first illustrated book was published no earlier than 20 years ago. However, even before her works were published in books, they were included in various exhibitions and she was known in Iran as an illustrator with a bright future.
Marjan Vafaian’s illustrations are elaborate and full of details that set her works apart from everybody else’s. However, rather than being a prolific illustrator, she prefers to create meritorious works and so there are only a few published books illustrated by her. Almost all of her books have been well received by Iranian critics and have won awards in international exhibitions as well. Marjan Vafaeian is also a capable sketcher and her entries were announced the selected sketches of the 2004’s Figures Futur Biennal in France.
As well as winning awards in Iran for her illustrations, she was one of the runner-ups in 2004’s Noma Concours for illustrating the book entitled The Sound of Little Green Goats’ Footsteps and two years later, in 2006, she won the Noma Concours Encouragement Prize for the illustrations of The Red Ladybird.

Marjan Vafaian’s illustrations drawings and paintings have been presented in international as well as Iranian exhibitions.

Solo Exhibitions:
Afrand Gallery Tehran Iran 2000
Laleh Gallery Tehran Iran 2004
Laleh Gallery Tehran Iran 2005
T-Box Gallery Tokyo Japan 2004
Eye Gallery Dubai 2004
Toko Gallery Tochingi/Mashiko Japan 2005
T-Box Gallery Tokyo Japan 2005
M-Style Gallery Tochingi/Mashiko Japan 2006
T-Box Gallery Tokyo Japan 2007
Calo Bookshop & Café Osaka/Higobashi 2007
Uresica Gallery Tokyo/Setagaya Japan 2011
See More Glass Gallery Tokyo/Harajuku Japan 2014
Calo Bookshop & Café Osaka/Higobashi 2015
Patina gallery Tokyo Japan 2018
Hay festival London UK 2018
See More Glass Gallery Tokyo Japan 2020
See More Glass Tokyo Japan 2022

Group Exhibitions :
Arteh Gallery Tehran Iran 2004
Momayez Gallery Tehran Iran 2005
Laleh Gallery Tehran Iran 2005
Calo Bookshop & Café Osaka/Higobashi 2006
Laleh Gallery Tehran Iran 2013
Momayez Gallery Tehran Iran 2014
Negah Gallery Tehran Iran 2014
The Soulfuls Copenhagen/Denmark 2022
LineApelle Milan/Italy 2022

Exhibitions:
The first Drawing Biennial (2000,Museum of contemporary art,Iran)
The 5th illustration biennial (2002, Iran)
Barg Art Gallery (2003, Iran)
The 7th international biennial of illustrators (2003, Belgrade)
Figure’s future international illustration exhibition (2004, France)
Noma illustration exhibition (2005, Japan)
The 8th international biennial of illustrators (2005, Belgrade)
The 12th international biennial for illustration of Tetrio (2005, Italy)
Noma illustration exhibition (2007,Japan)
The 12th Bratislava international illustration exhibition (2009, Slovakia,BIB) – workshop
The 14th Bratislava international illustration exhibition (2013, Slovakia,BIB)
Hay festival London UK 2018

Illustrations for books:
The bride and groom had grown in the garden (2001, Tehran, Nazar)
Eye- selected illustrations (2002, Tehran, Mahriz)
A planet inside me (2003, Tehran, Shoraye ketabe kudak)
The sound of green goats footsteps (2003, Tehran,Shabaviz)
Red skirt (2004, Tehran,Shabaviz)
The red ladybird (2004, Tehran,Shabaviz)
Once upon the time (2006, Tehran, Kanun parvaresh fekri)
Bijan and Manijeh (2011, Tehran, Chekeh)
Cento Sapori Italiani Cento Illustrazioni Iraniane (2013 Mosalas publishing Iran)
Bitti and Zitti (2013, Tehran,Chekeh)
Shahnamag (2014, Tehran, Chekeh)
Parrot and merchant (2015,UK, TinyOwl)
Bijan and manije( tinyowl publishing,UK 2016)
Cinderella of the nile( tinyowl publishing,uk2018)
Cinderella of the nile (Arden publishing, Turkey 2018)
The parrot and the merchant (published in puffin books by penguin random House ,India 2019)
Iran’s garden (Mirmah publishing ,Iran 2019)The rose and the earthworm (Mirmah publishing Iran 2020)
Play with sunset (Mehrabe Ghalam publishing Iran 2021)
Tap tap dough (Mehrabe Ghalam publishing Iran 2021)
What was the most horrible job you ever did? (kanun parvaresh fekri Iran 2021)
Best gift (Tinyowl publishing-Uk 2022)