Born in 1356, Khoy, Iran
Education
2006 M.F.A in Photography, Art (HONAR) University of Tehran, Iran
2000 B.A in Photography, Art and Architecture Faculty of Azad University of Tehran, Iran
2006 Until now, Professor of Tehran Art University
2004 Until now, Honorary Member of Iranian Visual Artists Society
Biography
Mehrdad Afsari is an Iranian fine art photographer, documentary film director and video artist. He was born in 1977 in Khoy. He got a B.A. in photography from University of Tehran in 2000 and M.F.A in photography from Tehran University of art in 2006. He has been professor at Tehran University of Art for 14 years. He is an honorary member of Iranian Visual Artists Society. Since 2001, he has had 16 solo exhibitions in different galleries in Iran and his works have been shown in more than 80 exhibitions around the world such as Iran, China, Germany, US, UAE, Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey, Georgia,France, Norway, UK such as Photo London 2018, Venice Biennial in Italy, Paris Photo in France, Contemporary Art Istanbul in Turkey, Queens Museum of Art (QMA) in USA, MOA Museum of Art, The Reina Sofia Museum in Spain, Georgia Museum of Art, "University of Westminster in London and Tehran museum of contemporary art (TMOCA). He has also been the Jury member,lecturer and curator of many national and international festivals and exhibitions such as 11th Fajr visual arts Festival at Iranian Academy of the Arts. Afsari curated the group exhibition Confined Landscape at Mohsen Gallery in Tehran in 2012 and the group exhibition Winter there in 2015.
Solo Exhibitions
2019 – “Photographs a Front”, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2018 – “Forty: A Treatise on Terrene Traverse”, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2017 - “Years Long gone" & "The hidden law of reason”, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2016 - “After Grandmother", Mohsen Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2014 - “The Gradual Disappearance of Things", Mohsen Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2013 - “America, Suspended Land”, Mohsen Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2012 - “Insomnia”, Mohsen Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2011 - “The Sacred Geometry of Chance”, Etemad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2009 - “The frenzied heart of mine, Houses the passionate countenance of thine”, Assar Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2008 - “I Am Oblivious of All Things", Khak art gallery, Tehran, Iran
2006 - “Gum Bichromate Print”, Assar Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2005 - UNDP - Tehran Office - Iran
2005 - “Photography as a Myth”, Silk Road Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2004 - “Untitled" - Haft Samar Art Gallery - Tehran,Iran
2003 - “Roadscape" and “The Felts”, Assar Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2002 - "The Village of Tehran"- Aeineh Gallery - Tehran, Iran
Group Exhibitions
Selected International Group Exhibitions:
2017 - “Iranian Garden” - 3,14 Art Gallery - Bergen, Norway
2017 - “Focus Iran 2” - Craft & Folk Art Museum - LA,USA
2016 - “Photo San Francisco” - San Francisco - USA
2016 - “Photo Shanghai” - Shanghai, China
2015 - "uNclear deal"- Curated by Mehdi Abdolkarimi-The Mine Art gallery-Dubai, U.A.E
2015 - "Iranian Contemporary Art"- ART ANKARA 2015- Ankara, Turkey
2013 - “My Name Is Not Rouge"- Curated by Ali Bakhtiari - Shirin Gallery, New York, USA
2013 - “Sub Tehran: Subjective Truth from Iran", Center of Contemporary Art (CCA), Curated by Sohrab Kashani- Tbilisi, Georgia
2013 - MEDATAK Festival "Section Uncharted Territory: video art in Iran"- Video - Madrid, Spain
2011 - "TV Dinner Project" -Video- Queens Museum of Art (QMA) - USA
2009 - "Settlement and Urban Identity in the Persian Gulf Region", University of Westminster, London, UK
2008 - Hillyer Art Space - Washington D.C - USA
Selected National Group Exhibition:
2017 - “Piece of Life” - E1 Art Galley - Tehran, Iran
2016 - “Ebb” - Silk Road Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2015 - "Art for Peace"- Curated by Feridon Farbod-Niavaran Artistic Creations Foundation - Tehran, Iran
2015 - "Winter" - Mohsen Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2014 - "Approaches to Tradition neo - Traditionalism in Contemporary Iranian Art" Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art - Tehran, Iran
2014 - "Zoo" Curated by Iman Safaei - Shirin Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2014 - "Art For Peace"- Curated by Solmaz Shabani - Held in 3 galleries - Tehran, Iran
2013 - "Silence"- curated by:Iman Safaei - Shirin Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2012 - "Inbetwenness"- curated by: Hamid Severi – Video - Mahemehr Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2012 - "Confined Landscape”- Mohsen Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2011 - "The 1st Tehran Annual Digital Art Exhibition" - Video-Mohsen Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2011 - "Pool" -Mohsen Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2011 - "13X18 Portrait" - Video - Etamad Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2010 - "Big Lie"- Video - Mohsen Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2010 - "Obligatory Military Service"- Video - Mohsen Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2010 - "Tehran 1,6 sq Km"- installation - Tarahan Azad Art Gallery -Tehran, Iran
2008 - Group Photo Exhibition - Niavaran Artistic Creations Foundation - Tehran, Iran
2006 - 10th photo biennial - Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art - Iran
2004 - Art Expo - Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art - Iran
2004 - 9th photo biennial - Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iran
2004 - Assar Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2004 - Silk Road Art Gallery - Tehran, Iran
2000 - Assar Art Gallery - " Iranian Contemporary Photography " - Tehran, Iran
1998 - Tehran Gallery - subordinate to Tehran University - Tehran, Iran
From 1997 - 2017 More than 80 national and international group exhibitions
Other Activities
Awards and Fellowships:
2016 - Selected Artist for " Iran and Norway Artist Exchange program" - Bergen, Norway
2010 - KAUNAS Photo Star Festival - Top finalist - Kaunas, Lithuania
2009 - "1 sq. Mile Project" - Visiting Art art institution - London, UK.
2008 - "Art Bridge Program" International arts &artists - Washington D.C, New York, Charleston - USA
2007 - 4th Iranian sea photo biennial - second prize - Iran
2006 - 10th photo biennial - Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art - first prize - Iran
2005 - 2nd Iranian sea photo biennial - third prize – Iran
Other Activities:
2018 – Jury member of “3st Focus Iran” contemporary photography and video biennial – CAFAM museum & Farhang Foundation - LA, USA
2018 – Jury member of “1st Blue Sky” photo festival – Tehran, Iran
2018 – Jury member of “Iran & China” photo festival – Tehran, Iran
2017 - Jury member of “Isfahan” photo festival - Isfahan, Iran
2017 - Curated group exhibition “Implicit Signifies "- Mohsen Art gallery -Tehran, Iran
2016 - Scientific Committee of "10 Days with Photographers” Annual festival - Tehran, Iran
2016 - Jury member of " 6th Birjand" photo festival Birjand - Iran
2016 - Jury member of " Foad" photo festival- Tehran, Iran
2015 - Jury member of " Birjand" photo festival Birjand - Iran
2015 - Jury member of "Dast Dovoom" Photo Festival -Tehran, Iran
2015 - Curated photo group exhibition "Winter "- Mohsen Art gallery -Tehran, Iran
2012 - Curated photo group exhibition "Confined Landscape"- Mohsen Art gallery -Tehran, Iran
2010 - Jury member of "Persia in the Mirror of Nature" Photo Festival - Shiraz, Iran
Art Fair & Auction:
2018 – TirArt – Tehran, Iran
2018 – photo London – London, UK
2017 - photo Shanghai - Shanghai, China
2017 - Photo San Francisco - San Francisco, USA
2016 - Photo Shanghai - Shanghai, China
2012 - Contemporary Art Istanbul - Istanbul, Turkey
2011 - 1st Modern & Contemporary Visual Art Auction -Tehran, Iran
2011 - Berliner Liste- Berlin, Germany
2011 - Bonhams Art fair - Dubai, U.A.E
2010 - Contemporary Art Istanbul - Istanbul, Turkey
2009 - Parisphoto - Paris, France
Publications:
2014 - "The Gradual Disappearance of Things" - Mohsen Publication - Tehran, Iran
2013 - “Contemporary Iranian Art:New perspectives", published by Saqi books - London, UK
2011 - “la photography Iranienne", published by Editions loco - Paris, France
2010 - “EYE”- Photo Series- No.38 - Mahriz Publication - Tehran, Iran
2005 - "The Sun of the Light" - Photo Series – Herfeh;Honnarmad Publication - Tehran, Iran
2004 - "Time And Space" - Photo Series, Herfeh;Honnarmad Publication - Tehran, Iran
