Mahmoud Bakhshi

Mahmoud Bakhshi

Mahmoud Bakhshi is a contemporary multimedia artist and sculptor, born in 1976 in Tehran, Iran. After receiving a diploma in graphic design in Tehran, he pursued his studies in sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2001. His professional practice began in the late 1990s and was marked from the outset by an experimental and conceptual approach to sculpture and interdisciplinary art. In 1999, Bakhshi gained critical attention by participating in the 2nd Tehran Sculpture Biennial, where he received an honorary prize. He later earned the second prize at the 3rd Tehran Sculpture Biennial, as well as the international Magic of Persia Award, which led to opportunities including an exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London. He has also undertaken significant international residencies in Paris, Seoul, London, and Amsterdam, which have played a key role in expanding his artistic practice globally. Bakhshi’s works operate at the intersection of sculpture, installation, video art, and performance. His practice often addresses themes such as war, memory, lived experience, and socio-political conditions. Using everyday objects and materials, he constructs conceptual and critical installations that reflect contemporary Iranian and global realities. He has exhibited widely in Iran and internationally, including in France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Italy, with his works held in notable public and private collections.

Resume

1970, Tehran

Education

1995 – Diploma in Graphic Design, Tehran
2001 – Bachelor’s Degree in Sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran

Professional Roles and Activities

2001 – Editor-in-Chief and Art Director, “Majmoueh” (Sculpture Magazine)

Solo Exhibitions

1999 – Berg Gallery, Tehran
2000 – Berg Gallery, Tehran
2004 – “Ya Abolfazl!”, performed in three locations (Bazaar Mosque, Enghelab Street, Golestan Gallery), Tehran
2006 – “Mahmoud Driving School”, Tehran Gallery
2007 – A.V. Gallery, Tehran
2009 – “From the Blood of Young Patriots, Tulips Have Bloomed”, Tarahan Azad Gallery, Tehran
2010 – “Engaged Artist”, Saatchi Project Space, London
2011 – “Bahman”, Aan Gallery, Tehran / Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, Paris
2012 – “Hard Copy”, Art Gwangju 2012, Gwangju, South Korea
2012 – “Recycling”, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2014 – “Word Cloud”, Narrative Gallery, London / Y Gallery, Baku / related cultural projects
2017 – “Unity of Time and Space”, Narrative Projects, London
2018 – “Of Fatigue”, Projects 009821, Tehran
2018 – “Short Notice / Bunkhouse”, Emrooz Gallery, Isfahan
2020 – “Friend and Enemy”, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2021 – “With Twelve Years Delay”, Tarahan Azad Gallery, Tehran

Group Exhibitions

2001 – First Conceptual Art Exhibition, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
2002 – “New Art Exhibition”, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
2003 – International Artists’ Town, Paris
2003 – “Spiritual Perspective”, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
2004 – “Sacrifice”, Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran
2005 – Rebel Minds Gallery, Berlin
2006 – “Contemporary Art Asia”, Seoul
2006 – “Iran.com”, Museum of New Art, Freiburg
2006 – “Eastern Express”, Frankfurt
2007 – Arario Gallery, Beijing
2008 – Barbican Centre, London
2008 – “Lion Under the Rainbow”, Athens
2008 – “In Weightless Conditions”, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran
2009 – “From the Rose Garden”, Los Angeles
2009 – “Thunder and Lightning”, Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, Paris
2010 – “Tehran: 1.6 Square Kilometers”, Tehran
2010 – 4th Auckland Triennial, New Zealand
2010 – Two-person exhibition “Employment”, Tehran
2012 – “Elephant in the Dark”, Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi
2012 – “Transformed Visions”, Tate Modern, London
2012 – Stuttgart/Berlin Collection, Germany
2012 – “Post Pop”, Mah-e Mehr Gallery, Tehran
2013 – “Catastrophe – End of Days”, Paris
2013 – Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku
2013 – 55th Venice Biennale, Italy
2014 – “Remembering the Future”, SOAS University of London
2015 – “Too Soon, Too Late”, Pinacoteca Bologna, Italy
2017 – “Condition”, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
2018 – “Who Knows the Value of the Nightingale’s Rose”, Los Angeles
2018 – “The Layers Cloth”, Amsterdam
2019 – “Limited Editions 1”, Tehran
2019 – “Shabtab 6”, Tehran
2019 – “40–50–60”, Tehran
2020 – “Word by Word”, Tehran
2020 – “Hard Skin”, Tehran
2021 – Asia Society Museum, New York
2024 – “Khosrnameh”, Tehran

Residencies and International Activities

2002 – Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (Scholarship)
2007 – Changdong Studio Residency, Seoul (6 months)
2010 – Delfina Foundation Residency, London (3 months)
2014 – Rijksakademie Residency, Amsterdam

Art Fairs

2015 – Untitled Art Fair, Miami
2016 – Crossroads, London
2016 – Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2019 – Teer Art Fair, Tehran
2020 – Teer Art Fair, Tehran
2021 – Art Brussels, Brussels
2025 – Eat Art Fair, Tehran

Awards and Honors

1999 – Honorary Prize, 2nd Tehran Sculpture Biennial, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
2001 – Second Prize, 3rd Tehran Sculpture Biennial, Niavaran Cultural Center
2008 – Magic of Persia Award