Writing about myself has always felt like one of the hardest things to do—maybe because identity, for me, has never been a fixed point. It’s been a journey of adaptation, performance, survival—and creation. I was born in Tehran, Iran, but raised in Bukan, a city in the Kurdish northwest. As a Kurd and a minority in Iranian society, I learned early on that being myself came with risks. To navigate school, work, and public life, I had to perform a version of myself that would be accepted—passing as Persian, as Shia, and as someone who fit into a system designed to exclude people like me. In 2001, I returned to Tehran to pursue a BFA in Fashion and Design, later earning an MA in Art Research. My Tehran-issued birth certificate and my practiced accent helped me blend in. I wasn’t lying out of malice or manipulation—it was more like acting in a high-stakes role, where the script was survival. Even in mandatory prayer, I mimicked the movements, not from faith, but from necessity. Eventually, I came to the U.S. to pursue what had always guided me: art. I completed my MFA in Creative Photography at the University of Florida, and here, I continue the deeper project of recovering and reinventing my identity.
As I create, I keep asking myself: What’s my goal? What’s the outcome of this mix and match? The answer always leads back to connection. I want to express the value of a world built on shared experiences, peace, and perspective. I imagine art like a board game—interactive, accessible, and open to all.
Honours/ Awards
2025 2022 2021 | Participant in the XV Florence Biennale 2025, Florence, Italy Zoetrope, EXPO 41 International Juried Competition, Second-Place, b.j. spoke gallery, NY, USA The Death of Marat, Art in isolation, Best in show, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA |
2020 | Labyrinth, Merit Award, Intangible contest, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA 3rd place in the Global Culture Photo Competition 2020, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 2nd place in the Global Culture Photo Competition 2020, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Dusk, Third Place Award, A Sense of Place, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA |
| On/Off, Best in the Show, Close-Up, GFAA Gallery, Gainesville, FL, USA |
2015 | Selected Halved Countesses collection, Florence Biennale, Italy |
| Bazaar, Finalist, Merit Award, le Catalan, France |
2012 | The 4th FAJR Visual Arts festival, Merit Award, Tehran, Iran |
| Summer, Competition, Merit Award, Luxembourg |
2008 | Bazzi, Merit Award, Shoghe Niyaz, Iranian Artist Forum Gallery, Tehran, Iran |
Contact: Cellphone: + 352 2784565 f.seyedmohammadi@ufl.edu Instagram: @foad_sm | |