ARTIST STATEMENT

Dr Farniyaz Zaker is an Iranian born Oxford-based artist whose work has been internationally exhibited since 2002. Located between architectural theory and gender studies her art-practice and writing largely deal with the nexus of body, society and place.

Her practice ranges from site-specific installations to video, sound and drawing. Much of her practice explores how bodily practices and spatial awareness define our sense of identity, belonging and the very concept of knowledge. Her work is both generative and corrosive of boundaries, such as the one between architecture and clothing. It often employs transparency and opacity, repetition and memorisation, text and textiles and plays with notions of the public and the private, the physical and the psychological.

She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards. In 2011 she was awarded the Lamb and Flag scholarship from St John's College of the University of Oxford, which enabled her to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Art. She was awarded the Birgit Skiold Memorial Trust Prize in 2011 at the International Print Biennial; and most recently, she has been selected for the Arte Laguna Prize 2014 (Sculpture and Installation Section), in Venice, Italy.

Her works can be found in private and public collections, including The Arter- Space for Art, an initiative of the Koc Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey, Video Insight foundation Collection, Bologna, Italy, and Mark Rothko Art Center, Daugavpils, Latvia.

BIOGRAPHY

Farniyaz Zaker

http://farniyazzaker.com/

 Education

 ·      University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom                                               

-              Doctor of Philosophy, Fine Arts, The Ruskin School of Art, St John’s College, 2010-2015

·      University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom         

-              Master of Arts, Winchester School of Art, 2008- 2009

-              Distinction

·      University of Art, Tehran, Iran                                       

-              Bachelor of Arts, Carpet and Textiles, 2002- 2006

-              Second-class honours, upper division (2:1)

Professional Qualifications

 ·      Agile Objects: Teaching and Learning in Museums, Galleries and Collections, series of workshops held at the Ashmolean Museum (funded by Andrew W Mellon Foundation) Oxford, UK, June 2015

·      Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (ongoing)

 Grants and Awards

 ·      Special Grants, St John’s College, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2014

·      Finalist at Arte Laguna Prize (Installation and Sculpture Section), Venice, Italy, 2014                                            

·      The Lamb and Flag Scholarship, St John’s College, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2011- 2013

-              For the pursue of Doctor of Philosophy: it covered home fees and living costs

·      Special Grants, St John’s College, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012

·      Finalist at ‘WEYA’, United Kingdom Young Artists, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2012

·      Birgit Skiold Memorial Trust Prize, International Print Biennale, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 2011

·      Regional Finalist at Lloyds TSB ‘Art of Nurture’ competition, Bristol, United Kingdom, 2009 and 2010

·      Finalist at ‘Shafaghi Tabriz’, Art and Design Competition, Tehran, Iran, 2006

·      Finalist at ‘Kaveh Golestan Photojournalism Competition’, Khane Honarmanda Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2003

·      Finalist at ‘World Art and Worship, Photography Competition’, Niyavaran Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2002

·      First Prize in Photography at the 1st Festival of Art for Art Students, Art University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, 2002

One Person Exhibitions

·      ‘Something There Was That Must have Loved A Wall’, Pi Artworks Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey, (ongoing)

·      ‘Primeval Relationship’, The Ruskin School of Art, The University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2014

·      ‘I.A.F. | Sharjah’, Sharjah Art Museum (Eastern Section), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2014

·      ‘Re-Enveloped’, King Way’s Corridor, Goldsmiths College, London, United Kingdom, 2013                                               

·      ‘Repeated Return’, Dolphin Gallery, St John’s College, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2013                                                

·      ‘Pardeh’, Old Masters Study Room, The Ruskin School of Art, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2011                                               

 Two Person Exhibitions

·      ‘[HYPHENATED]’, The North Wall Gallery, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012                                                 

 Selected Group Exhibitions

·       ‘Fortress Man’, Mark Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils, Latvia, 2015-2016

·      ‘Contemporary Istanbul International Art Fair | 2015’, Istanbul, Turkey, 2015

·      ‘A House Is Not A Hotel’, Pi Artworks Gallery, London United Kingdom, 2014

·      ‘8° International Arte Laguna Prize’, Arsenale Venice, Venice, Italy, 2014

·      ‘The Wall of Europe’, Paese Museo, San Sperate, Sardinia, Italy, 2013

·      ‘Mapleton Bree Prize’, Kendrew Barn, St John’s College, United Kingdom, 2013

·      ‘WEYA’, United Kingdom Young Artists, Bonington Gallery Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2012                                               

·      ‘Rewind Pause, Fast Forward: Mirrors on Iran’, Pi Artworks Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey, 2012

·      ‘mise–en–scène’, Etemad Gallery, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2012

·      ‘In site’, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012                                                 

·      ‘Ruskin Shorts’, Phoenix Cinema, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012

·      ‘International Print Biennale’, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 2011                                                 

·      ‘Power House’, The Old Power Station-Osney, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2011                                               

·      ‘Surplus to Requirements?’, Slade Research Centre and Gallery, London , United Kingdom, 2011                                                

·      ‘The Art of Nurture’, Lloyds TSB, Bristol, United Kingdom, 2010                                               

·      ‘10 Days at the Laundry’, The Yard, Old Hyde Laundry, Winchester, United Kingdom, 2009                                               

·      ‘THIS LEADS HERE’, Winchester Gallery, Winchester, United Kingdom, 2009                                                

·      ‘The Art of Nurture’, Lloyds TSB, Watershed Gallery, Bristol, United Kingdom, 2009                                               

·      ‘Master students exhibition’, Winchester School of Art, Winchester United Kingdom, 2008                                                 

·      ‘in-between (Master students exhibition)’, Winchester School of Art, Winchester, United Kingdom, 2008                                                 

·      ‘Shafaghi Tabriz Prize’, Niyavaran Palace, Tehran, Iran, 2006

·      ‘Kaveh Golestan Photojournalism Prize’, Khane Honarmandan Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2003

·      ‘World Art and Worship’, Niyavaran Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2002

·      ‘The First Festival of Art For Art Students’, The University of Art, Tehran, Iran, 2002

 Art Residencies 

·      Textile Art Symposium 2015, Mark Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils, Latvia, 2015

·      I.A.F., Sharjah Museum of Contemporary Art, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2014

·      No Arte, The Wall Of Europe, Paese Museo, San Sperate-Sardinia, Italy, 2013

·      WEYA: United Kingdom Young Artists, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2012

·      Marine, See and Navigation Organization, Chabahar, Iran, 2004

Publications

 1- Articles:

·      ‘A Room Without Boundaries: Ai Weiwei At The Royal Academy Of Arts’, written by Farniyaz Zaker, next issue of Home Cultures, (forthcoming)

·      ‘The Tent: Rethinking Dwelling’, written by Farniyaz Zaker, possibly with Ibraz (forthcoming)

·      ‘Earthly Paradise: Identity // and place’, written by Farniyaz Zaker, Oculus: Identity // and place, The Journal of the Edgar Wind Society For Art History, The University of Oxford, Michaelmas 2014/Hilary 2015, pp. 37 and 46-47.

·      ‘Words and Walls, Texts and Textiles: A Conversation’ a Conversation Between Farniyaz Zaker and Dr. Mariam Motamedi Fraser, written by Dr. Mariam Motamedi Fraser and Farniyaz Zaker, Theory Culture & Society Journal, 2014, pp.1-20.

 DOI: 10.1177/0263276414531051

·      ‘Dealing With an Image: Representation of Iranian Women in Iranian Contemporary Art’, aRm Magazine (The Ruskin Magazine), third Issue, April 2013, pp.14-15.  

2- Artworks in Books:

·       Word: Beyond Language, Beyond Image, Dr. Mariam Motamedi Fraser, Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 117-127.

·      The State of Art, Sculpture & 3D, Volume 1- edited by Paul Johnson, Chris Hodson and Rabin Laffan, Bare Hill Publishing, 2013

3- Selected interviews:

·      BÖLGELER VE SINIRLARI ACAN SANATÇI, An interview with Farniyaz Zaker by levant Ozata, Istanbul Art News, January 2016, p. 22.

·      ‘Umutlu Kaygi  arasında’, an Interview with Farniyaz Zaker by Meltem Yilmaz, Cumhuriyet Newspaper: Kultur Sanat, 2 Temmuz 2012, p. 6.

·       ‘Championing Iranian Art’, Brown Book, An Urban Guide to the Middle East, http://www.brownbook.me/championing-iranian-art/

·      ‘ Rewind, Pause, Fast Forward: Mirrors on Iran’, q8concierge,

 http://q8concierge.com/2012/07/08/rewind-pause-fast-forward-mirrors-on-iran-at-pi-artworks-galatasaray-and-tophaneistanbul-turkey/

4- Selected Exhibition Catalogues:

·      8° International Arte Laguna Prize, Venice, Italy, 2014

·      I. A. F. | 2014, Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah, UAE, 2014

·      1000 Artists, 100 Nations, 10 Days, ‘WEYA’, United Kingdom Young Artists, Nottingham, edited by Ian Oxlade, United Kingdom, 2012                                               

·      In site, The Ashmolean Museum, edited by the Curating Team: Jess Draper, Hilary Floe, Sohin Hwang, Natalie Sanderson, Vid Simoniti and Farniyaz Zaker, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012                                               

·      International Print Biennale Catalogue | 2011, Published by Northern Print, 2011

·      THIS LEADS HERE (online catalogue), Winchester, United Kingdom, 2009                                               

·      The Kaveh Golestan Photo Journalism Prize Catalogue, Nashr-e Digar publication house, Tehran, Iran, 2003

Conference Talks / Public Lectures:

·      ‘Something There Was That Must Have Loved A Wall’, a conversation between Farniyaz Zaker and Ceren Arkman, Pi Artworks Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey, January 2016

·      ‘Continuity and Change: Iran’s Architecture as a Unified Space’, OCMS, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, October 2015

·       ‘Architecture of Iran: From Metaphysical Places to Physical Non-Places’, St John’s College, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, 2015

‘Words and Walls, Texts and Textiles: A Conversation’, a conversation between Farniyaz Zaker and Dr. Mariam Motamedi Fraser, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom, 2013

·      ‘Representation of Women in Iranian Contemporary Art’, Cultural Identities In Art and Art Practice, GOA Project, Brasenose College, The University of Oxford, December 2012

·      ‘The Veil as Architecture: Conceptualisation and Genderisation of the Private and Public Space in Iran’, Women’s Rights Research Seminar, St Antony's College, The University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012

·      ‘Allegories of The Veil: An Iconography of Veiled Women Since 1990’, The Ruskin School of Art, The University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2011

·      ‘Diasporic Iranian Art: A Response to the Social and the Political Idiosyncrasies Inside Iran’, WSA Graduate School Conference, Winchester School of Art, The University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom, 2010

·      ‘Middle Eastern Garden Designs’, WSA Graduate School Conference, Winchester School of Art, The University of Southampton, Southampton

Teaching

·      BA, M.Phil, D.Phil, The Oriental Institute, The University of Oxford, UK, January 20154- Now

·      Language-specific sessions for students (A Level) and their teachers, The London Centre for Languages and Cultures (LCLC): Pembroke College Oxford, The Open University, and William Morris Sixth Form, with funding from the London Schools Excellence Fund (supported by the Mayor of London and Department for Education), 6th November, 2014 and 28 January, 2015

·      BA, Visual Communication, HK Buddhist College/China (Summer School in the UK) Brasenose College, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012

·      BA, Fine Art, The Ruskin School of Art, The University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2011-2012

Curation & Organization of Exhibitions and Seminars

·      ‘Something There Was That Must have Loved A Wall’, Pi Artworks Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey, (ongoing)

·      ‘[HYPHENATED]’, The North Wall Gallery, Curators: Farniyaz Zaker and Jess Draper, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012                                                 

·      ‘In Site: Exhibition and Symposium’, The Ashmolean Museum and Ruskin School of Art, Curating Committee, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2012, http://artasamodeofenquiry.wordpress.com/

·      ‘Power House’, Old Power Station-Osney, Curating Committee, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2011, https://sites.google.com/site/powerhouseexhibition/home