Shiva Ahmadi
Biography
Shiva Ahmadi is an Iranian artist known for her multimedia works that explore themes of power, gender, and cultural identity. Ahmadi was born in Tehran, Iran in 1975 and later immigrated to the United States, where she currently lives and works.
Ahmadi studied at the California State University, Fullerton and the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan before receiving her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003.
Ahmadi's work often incorporates elements of traditional Persian art, such as miniature painting, and combines them with contemporary techniques and materials. She is known for her use of video animation, which she combines with painting and sculpture to create immersive installations.
One of Ahmadi's most famous works is "Lotus," a large-scale video installation that was exhibited at the Asia Society Museum in New York in 2014. The piece features a field of lotus flowers that transform into military helicopters, a reference to the violence that has plagued Iran and the Middle East.
Ahmadi has also been the recipient of numerous awards and residencies, including a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant and a residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Her work has been exhibited at institutions around the world, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Queens Museum, and the Asia Society Museum.
Ahmadi's work challenges viewers to confront complex political and social issues, while also highlighting the beauty and richness of Iranian culture. She has been recognized as one of the most important Iranian artists working today, and her work continues to inspire and provoke audiences around the world.
