Kamran Diba | کامران دیبا (Cousin of Farah Diba Pahlavi, the former Empress of Iran) is a visionary Iranian architect, urban planner, museum director, and visual artist. He is celebrated for seamlessly blending modern architectural principles with the deep cultural context and vernacular traditions of Iran.

Born in Tehran, Diba traveled to the United States in the late 1950s to study architecture and sociology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. During this time, he also immersed himself in the New York School of Abstract Expressionism, producing intense, gestural paintings and participating in early group exhibitions.

Upon returning to Iran in the 1960s, Diba established DAZ Architects, Planners, and Engineers. Over the next decade, he became the mastermind behind some of Iran’s most iconic and culturally significant architectural projects. His designs include the Niavaran Cultural Center, the new campus for Jondishapur University in Ahvaz, and the groundbreaking Shushtar New Town, a monumental housing project focused on social interaction and psychological well-being.

Perhaps his most globally recognized achievement is the design and founding of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA). Serving as the museum’s first director from 1976 to 1978, Diba utilized his deep understanding of both Eastern and Western art to amass one of the most significant and valuable collections of modern European and American art outside of the Western hemisphere.

In 1978, a year before the Iranian Revolution, Diba left his homeland, eventually establishing residences in Paris and southern Spain. While continuing his architectural practice internationally, Diba deeply re-engaged with his visual art. Having introduced performance and installation art to Iran in the 1960s and 70s, his later works include complex mixed-media series like the “Global News” and “Front Page” collections, which critically abstract and examine the chaotic visual language of modern media and collective memory.

Active in others filds :
Museum Director and Curator (Founding Director of TMoCA), Urban Planning, Visual Arts (Painting, Installation, and Performance Art).

Notable Collaborations :
Diba collaborated closely with the legendary Iranian sculptor Parviz Tanavoli to integrate monumental public sculptures into his architectural spaces. During his tenure as museum director, he established personal relationships with and collected works from modern masters like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and his close friend, conceptual artist Dennis Oppenheim.

Kamran Diba Legacy :
Kamran Diba’s legacy in Middle Eastern architecture is unparalleled. He introduced a humanist, socially conscious approach to modernism that deeply respected indigenous Iranian environments, desert landscapes, and traditional adobe forms. Furthermore, his foresight in establishing the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art—and his curation of its legendary permanent collection—safeguarded a world-class cultural treasure that remains a profound point of pride and artistic inspiration for generations of Iranians.

Selected Notable Works :
Prodigal Waterman (Installation/Audio-visual) , 1966 ,
Jondishapur University Campus (Architecture) , 1968 ,
Niavaran Cultural Center (Architecture) , 1970 ,
Shushtar New Town (Architecture & Urban Planning) , 1974–1980 ,
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Architecture & Curation) , 1977 ,
Women’s Shoes Series (Pop Art Painting) , 1970s ,
Global News / Front Page Series (Mixed Media/Painting) , 2000s ,
Fragments Series (Mixed Media) , 2010s ,
Body Parts (Painting) , 2020s

Awards and Honors :
Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1986, awarded for his master planning and design of Shushtar New Town).

Exhibitions & Art Venues :
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Tehran), Venice Biennale (Venice), Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.), Seyhoun Gallery (Tehran), Zand Gallery (Tehran), Bavan Gallery, Asia Now (Paris), Gallery Realites (Washington D.C.)