Raana Farnoud (b. 1953, Mashhad, Iran) is a painter of great distinction living and working in Tehran. She received her BA in English from Tehran’s Advanced School of Translation (1975) and her Diploma in Painting from the Girl’s School of Fine Arts (1971). Raana Farnoud is an artist known for her versatile exploration of abstract and figurative art. She has deliberately transitioned between abstraction and figuration throughout her career, engendering a visual language uniquely her own. Her figurative work stands out both in her own body of work and among other contemporary Iranian artists. Farnoud's figurative paintings do not adhere to a representational ethos. Instead, they transcend the boundaries of time and place, aiming to create a world that goes beyond mimicry. She delves into the psyche of her characters with calm and precision, portraying internal tensions and affinities over external mien and appearances of people and objects.