Sara Rahbar

Iranian-born American artist (born 1976)

Known forMixed media artNotable workThe Flag Series (2005–2019)StyleassemblageWebsitewww.sararahbar.com

Sara Rahbar (born 1976) is an Iranian-born contemporary visual artist. Her work ranges from photography to sculpture to installation, all of which reveal and transform the artist's personal experiences and are intimately autobiographical. Her work explores concepts of nationalism, separation and belonging - driven by central ideas of pain, violence and the complexity of the human condition. Compelled by an instinctual obsession to piece together and dissect, her approach is reflective of her need to deconstruct her emotions and memories. She is based in New York City.^[1]

Biography

Sara Rahbar was born in 1976 in Tehran, Iran.^[2] In 1982, Rahbar and her family left Iran in the beginning of the Iranian Revolution and the early stages of the Iran-Iraq War,^[3] These experiences left many traumatic memories that have influenced her work.^[4]^[5]

Rahbar studied at Fashion Institute of Technology^[6] from 1996 until 2000^[7] and in 2004 she continued her education at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.^[3]^[7]

The first body of work that created international recognition for the artist was the Flag Series (2005–2019), in which traditional fabrics and objects are reworked as collages that form various incarnations of the American and Iranian flag, exploring ideas of national belonging, as well as the conflicting role of flags as symbols of ideological and nationalistic violence.^[8]^[9]

Rahbar's work is in various public museum collections including the Centre Pompidou,^[10] the British Museum,^[11]and at the Davis Museum at Wellesley College,^[12]^[13] among others.

Solo exhibitions

2020 – The space between us, Carbon 12, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2019 – Nada House, Governors Island, New York, United States
2018 – Carry me home, Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, Texas, United States^[14]
2017 – Salvation, Carbon 12, Dubai, United Arab Emirates^[15]^[16]
2014 – Swarming, Carbon 12, Dubai, United Arab Emirates^[17]
2012 – Restless Violence, Carbon 12, Dubai, United Arab Emirates^[17]
2011 – I have no faith left for the devil to take, Sara Rahbar, Hilger Contemporary, Vienna, Austria^[18]
2010 – Whatever we had to lose we lost, and in a moonless sky we marched, Sara Rahbar, Carbon 12, Dubai, United Arab Emirates^[13]
2009 – Contradicting Realities: Recent works by Sara Rahbar, Tyler Art Gallery at SUNY Oswego, New York, United States^[19]

Group exhibitions

2016 – 2050 A Brief History of the Future, Palazzo Reale, Milano, Italy^[20] The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Belgium and the National Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan.^[21]
2015 – 56th Venice Biennale, Iran Pavilion, Venice, Italy^[22]
2014 – The Shade of the Moon, Changwon Sculpture Biennial, Korea^[23]
2013 – Aya Haidar, Huda Lutfi, Sara Rahbar, bischoff/weiss gallery, London, England^[24]
2013 – Sharjah Biennial 11, Re:emerge Towards a New Cultural Cartography, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates^[25]

References

^ "New Art Pieces by Sara Rahbar: On Tolerance". Payvand.com. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
^ "Past Exhibitions - Sara Rahbar: Carry Me Home". Dallas Contemporary. 2018. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
^ ^a ^b "Personal History Sara Rahbar". ArtAsiaPacific. Retrieved 2016-03-20. true story of Sara Rahbar, her father, mother and baby brother as they fled Iran in 1982. In the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and during the early stages of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), Rahbar's parents decided to escape.
^ "Sara Rahbar's latest works delve into the hard facts of life and love". The National. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ Baker, Tamzin (2010-06-15). "Fighting Flags". Guernica Magazine of Art & Politics. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ Albertz, Thorsten (2010-11-01). "ArtAsiaPacific: Personal History Sara Rahbar". artasiapacific.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20. Rahbar studied design at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and in 2004 she continued her studies at London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.
^ ^a ^b "Sara Rahbar Biography". ArtNet.com. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Iranian artist Sara Rahbar featured at Dubai's Carbon 12 gallery". The National. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Piecing America Together". Hyperallergic. 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Musée national d'art moderne – Centre Pompidou". 2020-02-25.
^ "Collection Online: Sara Rahbar". British Museum. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
^ Salazar, Monica (2011-11-15). "Studio Visit Sara Rahbar". Berlin Art Link. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ ^a ^b "Biography: Sara Rahbar". OneArt.org. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Sara Rahbar: Carry me home". Glasstire. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
^ Kalsi, Jyoti (2017-04-27). "Feeling the anguish of the common man". GulfNews. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
^ "What To See This Weekend In Dubai". Harper's BAZAAR Arabia. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
^ ^a ^b "Shows, Sara Rahbar". Artsy. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Sara Rahbar's I have no faith left for the devil to take at Galerie Hilger contemporary". Art Agenda. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "'Contradicting Realities' to examine notions of identity". State University of New York at Oswego. 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "2050. A Brief History of the Future | My Art Guides". myartguides.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
^ "Ministry of Culture-Taiwan Exhibitions". 9 May 2018.
^ "56th Venice Biennale 2015: National Participations". Universes in Universe. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Antenna公式ウェブサイト". Antenna (in Japanese). 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
^ "Group exhibition of works by Aya Haidar, Huda Lutfi, Sara Rahbar". ArabLondon. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
^ "Sara Rahbar - artist, news & exhibitions". PhotographyNow. Retrieved 2016-03-20.