Artist Statement / Biography
Writing about oneself is often difficult—perhaps because identity is rarely fixed. For me, identity has always been a process of adaptation, performance, survival, and creation.
I was born in Tehran, Iran, and raised in Bukan, a city in the Kurdish northwest. Growing up as a Kurd and a minority within Iranian society meant learning early that expressing my identity could carry risks. In school, work, and public life, I often performed a version of myself that would be accepted—passing as Persian, as Shia, and as someone who fit within a system that frequently excluded people like me.
In 2001, I returned to Tehran to pursue a BFA in Fashion and Design, later completing an MA in Art Research. My Tehran-issued birth certificate and carefully practiced accent allowed me to blend into the dominant culture. This was not deception for personal gain; it was closer to acting in a high-stakes role where the script was survival. Even in moments such as mandatory prayer, I mimicked gestures not from faith but from necessity.
Eventually, I moved to the United States to pursue what had always guided me: art. I earned my MFA in Creative Photography from the University of Florida, where my work increasingly focused on questions of identity, memory, and belonging.
Today, I find myself navigating multiple cultural spaces—the Persian diaspora, American society, and the landscapes of memory that shape my past. My artistic practice reflects this fluid movement between identities.
As a conceptual artist with a background in visual arts and art history, I work primarily with photography and paper. These materials allow for immediacy, intimacy, and a tactile relationship with memory. My projects often begin with personal experiences and childhood recollections, exploring how private narratives intersect with collective histories.
Through playful yet reflective gestures—rolling a sphere while identifying with a dung beetle, or placing pine needles over a nude photograph—I revisit formative moments from my childhood and reframe them within contemporary contexts. These acts transform memory into visual language.
Ultimately, my work imagines a universe where identity is not a script to memorize but a space to explore—fluid, open, and constantly evolving. I think of art as something like a board game: interactive, accessible, and inviting viewers to participate in shared experiences. Through this process, I seek to highlight the value of connection, empathy, and a world shaped by diverse perspectives.
Exhibitions & Awards
2026
Solo Exhibition: Between Us and the Borders, Richmond, VA, USA
2025
Participant, XV Florence Biennale, Florence, Italy
2022
Second Place, Zoetrope, EXPO 41 International Juried Competition, b.j. spoke gallery, New York, USA
2021
Best in Show, The Death of Marat, Art in Isolation, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA
2020
Merit Award, Labyrinth, Intangible Contest, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA
Second Place, Global Culture Photo Competition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Third Place, Global Culture Photo Competition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Third Place, Dusk, A Sense of Place, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA
Best in Show, On/Off, Close-Up, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA
2015
Selected Artist, Halved Countesses Collection, Florence Biennale, Italy
2012
Merit Award, 4th FAJR Visual Arts Festival, Tehran, Iran
Merit Award, Summer Competition, Luxembourg
2008
Merit Award, Bazzi, Shoghe Niyaz, Iranian Artists Forum Gallery, Tehran, Iran
Education
Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Creative Photography
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
2018 – 2021
Master of Arts (MA), Art Research
Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran
2007 – 2010
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Textile Design and Printing
University of Art, Tehran, Iran
2001 – 2007
Professional Experience
Technical Photographer / Multimedia Specialist
Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL, USA
2021 – Present
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
2018 – 2021
Museum Photographer
National Museum of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2012 – 2018
Contact
Phone: +1 352 278 4565
Email: foad.sm2001@gmail.com
Email: f.seyedmohammadi@ufl.edu
Instagram: @foad_sm