Saya Behnam

Sayeh “Saya” Behnam is a visual artist with over 20 years of experience. She currently lives and works in her studio in Northern Virginia.
Statement:
I use Natural color and flowers for my work.
Tea and Saffron Series
“My breath is like a wind in nature and these stigmas go wherever they want…my canvas becomes the receiver of my breath of life…capturing it’s essence in a gentle spray of color and form”

Whereas Saya Benham’s “Gold Leaf” series is concerned with concepts of sacred geometry and material purity, the “Saffron, Tea, and Spice Series” goes into the essence and truth of who she is as a living being.

The artist uses such natural dry mediums as saffron, hibiscus, borage tea, henna, and coffee to create her colors. These dried herbs and spices are steeped in hot water until they create the tones that the artist wishes to use.
As Saya applies each color layer with Chinese brushes, a chemical interaction with the previous color layer occurs, creating further nuances of delicate tones. This process creates an element of uncertainty with all the possibilities of colors as they mix; yet the artist is in control as well.

“Only at that moment am I able to achieve a particular color…all is continually changing, based on how an...

Certified programs, Corcoran School of Art, Washington DC
BS in Biology (Botany), Tehran University

Awards and Acquisitions:
Acquisitions:
US Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, 2023 "Saffron Nebula" piece (Art in Embassies)
Martin Luther King Jr., Library in Washington, DC, Permanent collection, 2022
The US Department of Public Works in Washington, DC
DC Wellness Clinic, DC government, P Street, Washington DC
The Department of Transportation in Washington, DC
Councilmember Brooke Pinto in Washington, DC
The Collections of the DC Commission on Art and Humanities office
The law firm of Wiley Rein LLP, Washington, DC
Awards:
2023 DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities ArtBank 23 Finalist
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Art Bank program, finalist years: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
Global Art Awards finalist 2017 and 2018, organized by the Middle East Art Collector Association (MACA) and the Wall Street Journal in Dubai
Honorable mention, Hermes Creative Awards, 2015
Bronze Spotlight award. LACP (League of American Communications Professionals)



Alexandria, Virginia, Library, Project Take A Seat, served as the juried panel in 2026
Public Art jury panel member for the Torpedo Factory Art Center Loading Dock Mural 2024
Talk at the DC Wellness Clinic, DC government, P Street, Washington DC 2025
Saint Mary’s Coll...