Shirazeh Houshiary

Biography

Shirazeh Houshiary (b. 1955, Iran) moved to London in the early 1970’s and graduated from the Chelsea School of Art in 1979, emerging with a group of artist that included Anish Kapoor and Richard Deacon. In Europe she is well known for her sculptures in which she investigates spiritual principles and abstract forms. In her first solo exhibition in New York at Lehmann Maupin Gallery (1999) she exhibited a series of paintings that explored her interest in Sufism and the 13th Century mystic poet Jalal al-Din Rumi. The calligraphy was implemented in graphite and repeatedly laced into the luminous surfaces. In her labor-intensive paintings she unites the word and the canvas into a meditative visual experience which results in work that is about presence and experience. Houshiary has said of her work, "Presence is like light - how can you describe it? Light can be only experienced, it has presence. This work also has a presence and has only to be experienced, it has presence."

Houshiary, who was a Turner Prize nominee in 1994, has had solo exhibitions at the Musée Rath, Geneva (1989); the Museum of Modern Art Oxford (1989); the Camden Arts Centre, London (1993); SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico (2002); Tate Liverpool (2003); and most recently the 2010 exhibition Light Darkness at Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York. Houshiary’s work is in prestigious public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the Tate Collection, London among others. The artist’s upcoming exhibitions include Creating the New Century: Contemporary Art from the Dicke Collection at The Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio as well as an exhibition at Lisson Gallery, London, UK in 2011. Shirazeh Houshiary currently lives and works in London, England. To download artist's CV, please click on "Printable PDF of Full Text"
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Gallery Exhibitions

• Hong Kong International Art Fair, Booth 1E04 - May 17 - 20, 2012
• VIP Art Fair 2012 - February 3 - 8, 2012
• Frieze Art Fair 2010, Booth B13 - October 14 - 17, 2010
• Art 41 Basel, Hall 2.1 Booth J8 - June 16 - 20, 2010
• Shirazeh Houshiary, Light darkness - April 29 - June 19, 2010
• Frieze Art Fair 2009, Booth B12 - October 15 - 18, 2009
• The ADAA Art Show 2009 - February 19 - 23, 2009
• Frieze Art Fair 2008, Booth F17 - October 16 - 19, 2008
• Art 39 Basel, Hall 2.1 Booth F2 - June 4 - 8, 2008
• Shirazeh Houshiary - February 18 - March 25, 2006
• Shirazeh Houshiary, Works on Paper - April 30 - June 5, 2004
• Shirazeh Houshiary - October 25 - December 20, 2003
• New Work, Group Show - June 21 - July 31, 2001
• Shirazeh Houshiary - September 8 - October 23, 1999

Museum Exhibitions

• Hong Kong International Art Fair, Booth 1E04 - May 17 - 20, 2012
• VIP Art Fair 2012 - February 3 - 8, 2012
• Frieze Art Fair 2010, Booth B13 - October 14 - 17, 2010
• Art 41 Basel, Hall 2.1 Booth J8 - June 16 - 20, 2010
• Shirazeh Houshiary, Light darkness - April 29 - June 19, 2010
• Frieze Art Fair 2009, Booth B12 - October 15 - 18, 2009
• The ADAA Art Show 2009 - February 19 - 23, 2009
• Frieze Art Fair 2008, Booth F17 - October 16 - 19, 2008
• Art 39 Basel, Hall 2.1 Booth F2 - June 4 - 8, 2008
• Shirazeh Houshiary - February 18 - March 25, 2006
• Shirazeh Houshiary, Works on Paper - April 30 - June 5, 2004
• Shirazeh Houshiary - October 25 - December 20, 2003
• New Work, Group Show - June 21 - July 31, 2001
• Shirazeh Houshiary - September 8 - October 23, 1999

Public Projects

• Hong Kong International Art Fair, Booth 1E04 - May 17 - 20, 2012
• VIP Art Fair 2012 - February 3 - 8, 2012
• Frieze Art Fair 2010, Booth B13 - October 14 - 17, 2010
• Art 41 Basel, Hall 2.1 Booth J8 - June 16 - 20, 2010
• Shirazeh Houshiary, Light darkness - April 29 - June 19, 2010
• Frieze Art Fair 2009, Booth B12 - October 15 - 18, 2009
• The ADAA Art Show 2009 - February 19 - 23, 2009
• Frieze Art Fair 2008, Booth F17 - October 16 - 19, 2008
• Art 39 Basel, Hall 2.1 Booth F2 - June 4 - 8, 2008
• Shirazeh Houshiary - February 18 - March 25, 2006
• Shirazeh Houshiary, Works on Paper - April 30 - June 5, 2004
• Shirazeh Houshiary - October 25 - December 20, 2003
• New Work, Group Show - June 21 - July 31, 2001
• Shirazeh Houshiary - September 8 - October 23, 1999

Press

• Time Out New York Download PDF ()
• The New York Sun Download PDF ()
• The Independent, Lisson Gallery Download PDF ()
• Sculpture Download PDF ()
• Bloomberg Download PDF ()
• Artforum Download PDF ()
• Artforum Download PDF ()
• Art World Download PDF ()
• Art Papers Download PDF ()
• Art in America Download PDF ()
• Art in America Download PDF ()

Selected Works

SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Rupture, 2010 106.3 x 74.8 inches 270 x 190 cm LM12933


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Motet, 2010 106.3 x 74.8 inches 270 x 190 cm LM12934


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Vapour , 2010 lilac and blue pencil with white aquacryl on canvas and aluminum 106.3 x 74.8 inches 270 x 190 cm signed, titled an dated on the reverse LM12932


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Limen, 2010 blue pencil with black and white aquacryl on canvas 27.56 x 27.56 inches 70 x 70 cm signed, titled an dated on the reverse LM13131


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Fading shadow, 2009 74.8 x 106.3 inches 190 x 270 cm LM12931


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Vesper, 2009 blue pencil with black and white aquacryl on canvas and aluminum 74.8 x 106.3 inches 190 x 270 cm signed, titled an dated on the reverse LM12930


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Threshold, 2009 blue pencil with black and white aquacryl on canvas 27.56 x 27.56 inches 70 x 70 cm signed, titled an dated on the reverse LM12822


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2009 color pencils, paint and gesso on paper 15.75 x 15.75 inches (paper) 40 x 40 cm 18.625 x 18.625 x 1.5 inches (framed) 47.3 x 47.3 x 3.8 cm signed, titled an dated on the reverse LM12937


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2009 color pencils, paint and gesso on paper 15.75 x 15.75 inches (paper) 40 x 40 cm 18.625 x 18.625 x 1.5 inches (framed) 47.3 x 47.3 x 3.8 cm signed, titled an dated on the reverse LM13234


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Loom, 2008 anodized aluminum bricks and steel cable 108.27 x 16.93 x 12.6 inches 275 x 43 x 32 cm LM12641


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Echo, 2008 blue pencil on white aquacryl 39.37 x 39.37 inches 100 x 100 cm LM11387


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Ebb, 2008 blue and red pencil on white aquacryl on canvas 39.37 x 39.37 inches 100 x 100 cm LM11733


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Turning Shadow, 2008 blue pencil on black and white aquacryl on canvas 39.37 x 39.37 inches 100 x 100 cm LM11732


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Shroud, 2007 digital animation (5 min 52 sec looped) 53 inch LCD screen Edition of 6 LM12824


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2007 mixed media on paper 15.75 x 15.75 inches (paper) 40 x 40 cm 19.5 x 19.5 inches (framed) 49.5 x 49.5 cm LM10623


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY White Shadow, 2006 color anodized aluminum 159.45 x 18.58 x 25.91 inches 405 x 47.2 x 65.8 cm LM9582


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Bloom, 2005 white acquacryl, blue pencil and black pigment on canvas 74.8 x 74.8 inches 190 x 190 cm LM11051


Breath II, 2004 limestone bricks and audio equipment 255.91 x 47.24 x 39.37 inches 650 x 120 x 100 cm LM7836


Breath IV, 2003 animation, custom PC with built-in LCD panel & audio equipment 12.375 x 15.25 x 4.375 inches 31.4 x 38.7 x 11.1 cm Edition of 10 LM7283


Deep Sleep, 2003 White Aquacryl and graphite on canvas 74.8 x 74.8 inches 190 x 190 cm LM7031


Murmur, 2003 White and black Aquacryl and white ink on canvas 19.69 x 19.69 inches 50 x 50 cm LM7037


Black light, 1998 black aquacryl with silverpoint and graphite on canvas 74 8/10 x 74 8/10 inches 190 x 190 cm LM1492


White shadow, 1998 white aquacryl with silverpoint and graphite on canvas 74 8/10 x 74 8/10 inches 190 x 190 cm LM1495

Available Works

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SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2008 blue and red pencil on white aquacryl on canvas 15.75 x 15.75 inches 40 x 40 cm LM12115 To inquire about this work please contact sales@lehmannmaupin.com


SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2008 blue pencil on black aquacryl on canvas 15.75 x 15.75 inches 40 x 40 cm LM12062 To inquire about this work please contact sales@lehmannmaupin.com

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SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2008 lilac pencil on white aquacryl on canvas 15.75 x 15.75 inches 40 x 40 cm LM12165 To inquire about this work please contact sales@lehmannmaupin.com

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SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Shroud, 2007 digital animation (5 min 52 sec looped) 53 inch LCD screen Edition of 6 LM12824 To inquire about this work please contact sales@lehmannmaupin.com

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SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2004 mixed media on paper 15.75 x 15.75 inches (paper) 40 x 40 cm 20.375 x 20.375 inches (framed) 51.8 cm x 51.8 cm LM7734 To inquire about this work please contact sales@lehmannmaupin.com

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SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY Untitled, 2004 mixed media on paper 15.75 x 15.75 inches (paper) 40 x 40 cm 20.375 x 20.375 inches (framed) 51.8 cm x 51.8 cm LM7724 To inquire about this work please contact sales@lehmannmaupin.com