Mehrdad Afsari

Mehrdad Afsari

Mehrdad Afsari (b. 1977, Khoy, Iran) is an Iranian photographer, video artist, documentarian, and publisher (Herfeh: Honarmand Publishing). He received his BA in Photography in 2000 and his MA in Photography in 2006 from the University of Art, Tehran. He has 14 years of academic experience at the University of Art, Tehran, and is an honorary member of the Iranian Society of Visual Arts. Since 2000, Afsari has held 14 solo exhibitions at various galleries. His work has been presented in more than 80 exhibitions in Iran and internationally, including Photo London 2018, UK; the Venice Biennale, Italy; Paris Photo, France; Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey; the Queens Museum, USA; the Museum of Art, Japan; the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Spain; the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia; the University of Westminster, UK; and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iran. His work is also held in the collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Afsari has served as a juror and lecturer at numerous national and international events and festivals and has curated several exhibitions, including the 11th Fajr International Festival of Visual Arts at the Iranian Academy of Arts. Afsari curated two exhibitions at Mohsen Gallery: Closed Horizons in 2012 and Winter in 2015. In September 2019, he curated Climate of Bewilderment at Nabshi Center, presenting photographs by Mohammad Sayyad of Iraqi Kurdish refugees, taken approximately 30 years earlier.

Resume

1977, Khoy, Iran

Education

2006, MA in Photography, University of Art, Tehran

2000, BA in Photography, University of Art and Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Tehran

Solo Exhibitions

2025, Photographs in the Past, Bavan Gallery, Tehran
2016, The Hidden Law of Causality and Distant Years, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2015, After Grandmother, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2014, All That Is No Longer, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2013, America, a Suspended Expanse, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2012, Sleeplessness, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2010, The Sacred Geometry of Fortune, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2009, The Mark of Your Face Is in the Heart of Our Madness, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2008, I Have Forgotten Everything, Khak Gallery, Tehran
2006, Achromatic Print Step, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2005, Photography as a Myth, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran
2005, Solo Exhibition, United Nations, Tehran Office, Iran
2004, Untitled, Haft Samar Gallery, Tehran
2003, Roadscapes and Felt, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2000, Villages of Tehran, Ayeneh Gallery, Tehran

Group Exhibitions

2026, Home: The Sun That Rose in the East, Bavan Gallery, Tehran
2026, Nap, Bazdid Gallery, Tehran
2025, Continuum: The Unbroken Line of Iranian Art, Foundry, Dubai
2024, Zastar, Sales Gallery, Tehran
2023, Event: Iranian Contemporary Art and the Changing Realities, Bavan Gallery, London
2023, “Didar” with Artists, Didar Gallery, Tehran
2020, Factory 03, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2019, Ecosystem, Bavan Gallery, Tehran
2019, Iran, Visual Poems, Quebec Photography Exhibition, Quebec
2019, A Few Days in Between, Nabshi Center, Tehran
2019, Shabtab 6, Ordibehesht Gallery, Tehran
2018, Factory 01, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2018, 6th International Art for Peace Festival, Mellat Park, Tehran
2018, Only the Nightingale Knows the Value of the Collection of Flowers, RedCat Gallery, Los Angeles
2017, Portfolio 02, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2017, Group Exhibition, Gallery 14, Bergen, Norway
2016, Tide, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran
2016, Seven Passages, Tem Gallery, Tehran
2015, Winter, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2015, Art for Peace, Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran
2015, Group Exhibition, The Mine Art Gallery, Dubai
2014, Energy Shift, BIO 50, Museum of Architecture and Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2014, Zoo, Shirin Gallery, Tehran
2014, Group Exhibition, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
2013, My Name Is Not Red, Shirin Gallery, New York
2013, Sub Tehran: Subjective Truth from Iran, Video, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tbilisi, Georgia
2013, Silence, Shirin Gallery, Tehran
2012, In-Betweenness: Video, Mahmehr Gallery, Tehran
2012, Closed Horizons, curated by Mehrdad Afsari, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2012, 13×18 Portraits, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2011, First Tehran Digital Art Festival (TADAX): Video, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2011, T.V. Dinner: Video, Queens Museum, USA
2011, Swimming Pool, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2010, Public Duty: Video, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2010, The Big Lie: Video, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2010, Tehran 1.6 Square Kilometers, Azad Gallery, Tehran
2009, Biodiversity and Urban Diversity on the Persian Gulf Coast, University of Westminster, London
2009, Tehran: One Square Mile, Azad Gallery, Tehran
2009, Settlement and Urban Identity in the Persian Gulf Region, University of Westminster, London
2008, Group Exhibition, Niavaran Artistic Creations Foundation, Tehran
2008, Group Exhibition, Hillier Art Spaces, Washington
2004, Group Exhibition, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran
2004, Group Exhibition, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2004, Group Exhibition, Art Expo, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iran
2001, Group Exhibition, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
2000, Contemporary Iranian Photography, Etemad Gallery, Tehran
1999, Exhibition, Tehran Gallery, Tehran
1998, Student Photography Festival, Tehran Gallery, University of Tehran, Tehran
1998, Group Exhibition, Tehran Gallery, University of Tehran, Tehran

Art Fairs and Biennials

2023, Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair, presented by Bavan Gallery, Istanbul
2020, Teer Art Fair, presented by Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2018, Photo London, presented by Mohsen Gallery, London
2017, Photo San Francisco, San Francisco
2017, Photo Shanghai, Shanghai
2016, Art Ankara Contemporary Art Fair, Ankara
2016, Photo Shanghai, Shanghai
2015, Art Ankara, Contemporary Iranian Art, Ankara
2011, Berliner Liste Art Fair, Berlin
2011, Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair, Istanbul
2011, Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair, Istanbul
2010, Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair, Turkey
2010, Contemporary Art Istanbul Art Fair, Istanbul
2009, Paris Photo, Paris
2006, 10th Photography Biennial, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
2004, 9th Iranian Photography Biennial, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran

Awards, Fellowships and Residencies

2018, Nominee for an award from an international photography magazine
2016, Award and Residency, Artist Exchange Program, Bergen, Norway
2010, Award and Fellowship, Kaunas Photo Star Festival, Finalist, Kaunas, Lithuania
2008, Award and Fellowship, Art Bridge Program, Arts and International Artists, USA
2007, Award and Fellowship, 4th Iranian Marine Photography Biennial, Second Prize
2006, Award and Fellowship, 10th Photography Biennial, First Prize, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
2005, Award and Fellowship, 2nd Iranian Marine Photography Biennial, Third Prize

Other Activities

2018, Jury Member, 11th Fajr International Festival of Visual Arts, Saba Institute of Culture and Art, Tehran
2018, Jury Member, 3rd Focus Iran Contemporary Photography and Video Biennial, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles
2018, Member of the Scientific and Artistic Council, 7th Annual Ten Days with Photographers Festival, Artists Forum, Tehran
2018, Jury Member, Isfahan Photography Festival, Isfahan
2018, Jury Member, 1st Blue Sky Photography Festival, Tehran
2017, Curator, Implicit Signifiers, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2015, Curator, Winter, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran
2015, Jury Member, Second-Hand Photography Festival, Tehran
2015, Jury Member, Sogvareh Photography Festival, Birjand
2010, Jury Member, Mirror of Nature Photography Festival, Shiraz
2010, Jury Member, Fars Photography Festival in the Mirror of Nature, Shiraz

2004, Honorary Member, Iranian Society of Visual Arts