Raha Rastifard

Biography

Raha Rastifard is an Iranian-German artist residing and working in Stockholm. Through a wide range of media, such as photography, sculpture, painting, video, and installation, she explores themes of identity and cultural heritage. Her work often incorporates references to literature, philosophy, and art history. In her highly lyrical art, she creates works that are full of (trans)cultural, poetic, and historical references.

Her work as an artist is based on narrating a story. Her art has no nationality; she believes that art does not recognize borders or nations, it can travel freely. She strongly believes in interculturalism, and her message of art is universal.

Rastifard holds a BFA from the National University of Art in Tehran and an MA in European and Islamic Art from Freie Universität in Berlin. She has also attended a couple of post-master courses at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm (2015 – 2018). Recent solo and group exhibition venues include Ebelingmuseet, Eskilstuna (2023), Borås Bright Art, Borås Konstmuseum (2023), Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm (2022), Berg Gallery, Stockholm (2021), and Östergötlands Museum, Linköping (2019). Additionally, her work has been shown in a large number of exhibitions throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, including venues such as the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, Museo Ex-Teresa Arte Actual, Mexico City, Malmö Konsthall, and Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Tokyo.

Rastifard was awarded the 2021 IASPIS residency scholarship and received the Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s two-year working grant the following year. Her works are represented in the collections of the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Borås Konstmuseum, Östergötlands Museum, Stockholm Konst, and Region Stockholm (Stockholm County Council), among others.

CV

Education

2017-2018 The advanced course in Architecture at the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden

2015-2016 Postmaster course in Fine Arts for professional artists at the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden

2014 Professional training in museum management

2011 Master's degree in history of European Art and Islamic Art, Master's degree in Iranian Culture and Literature at the Free University FU, Berlin, Germany

2000 Bachelor of Fine Arts at the national University of art, Tehran, Iran

Awards and Grants

2022 Konstnärsnämnden / Swedish Arts Grants Committee, two-year working grant

2021 Residency vid IASPIS. Det internationella programmet inom Swedish Art Grants-kommittén.

2018  Konstnärsnämnden / Swedish Arts Grants Committee, one-year working grant

2014-15 Internationell Kulturutbyte grant, Konstnärsnämden, SE

2013 Selected “If it isn’t too dark” for the International Museum of Women, MIOW, US

2009 Finalist for “Freedom to Create Prize”, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

Commissions

2022 "The Third Line", Light sculpture, Borås Art Museum

2021 “Hamnars hjärta”, 400th anniversary Norrtälje, SE

2021 "Himmels Passagen" tunnel under Tycho Hedéns väg, Uppsala kommun, SE

2020 "The Fifth Element", Light sculpture, Östergötlands museum, Linköping, SE

2019 “The Hanging Lotus Garden” Danderyds sjukhus Stockholm, SE

2017 “Tribute to Movement”, Norsborg Metro Station, Stockholm, SE

2017 “The Aurora” Norrbyskolan, Örebro, SE

Solo Exhibitions

2025 Berg Gallery ”Lost Memory”, Stockholm, SE

2023. Ebelingmuseet, “Rest in Natural Great Peace”, Eskilstuna, SE

2022 Konstpaus #12, “ Suffering” Stockholm Konst, Stockholm, SE

2021 Berg Gallery, "Rest in natural great peace", Stockholm, SE

 2021 Grafiska sällskapet, Stockholm, SE

2020 Konstfrämjandet Bergslagen, Örebro, SE

2015-2016 AREA 52 Gallery, a Story written with Water, Stockholm, Sweden( 2 persons in separate Rooms), SE

2015 “The Book of Longing” Mixed Media, Photography, WHITECONCEPTS Gallery, Berlin, DE

2011 “I & …” Photo series, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, IR

2008 “Tuba”, Mixed media exhibition, Futura Gallery, Berlin, DE

2007 “Tuba”, Mixed media exhibition, Pergamon Museum, Berlin, DE

2004 Traces of Existence, Painting, Schillerpalais Gallery, Berlin, DE

Selection Group Exhibitions

2024 “Kontur”, Danske Grafikeres gallery, Copenhagen, DN

2023 ”Ghost in the Machine” - curated by Erik Berglin, Berg Gallery, Stockholm, SE

2022 “Borås Bright Art “- International light art in the urban space and at Borås Art Museum, Borås, SE

2022 Enter Art Fair w. Berg Gallery, Tunnelfabrikken, Copenhagen, DN

2021 ”Pyramid of Democracy”  Levande Stockholm, Stockholm konst summer exhibition, SE

2020 Liljevalchs vårsalong, Stockholm, SE

2018-2019 "Femte Elementet", Östergötlands museum, Linköping , SE

2017 GRAFIK 2017, Oskarshamns konsthall, SE

2017 Lady Dada Kalam's WHITE CUBE, Berlin, DE

2016 Avesta Art, Avesta, SE

2016 Music Art, Stockholm, SE

2016 Kunstquartier Bethanien Berlin, DE

2016 Nordens Ljus Gallery, kungsholmsstrand, stockholm, SE

2015 The Pergamon Palais, Berlin, DE

2015 ARTmART, Vienna, AUT

2015 REEL & IMAGINED, Maison de la Culture de Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal, CA

2015 House of Taswir, a Story written with Water, curated by Shulamit Çoruh, Berlin, DE

2015 “Suffering”, Sundsvalls Konstförening, Sundsvalls, SE

2015 Video art by 19 Iranian women, curated by Alysse Stepanian, Pori Art Museum, FIN

2014 Video art by 19 Iranian women, curated by Alysse Stepanian, Malimö Konsthall, SE

2013 Stockholm Photography Week, Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm, SE

2013 A paradigm shift, curated by Uta Koch-Götze, Kunsthalle Brennabor, DE

2013 Selected "If it isn't too dark" Photo series for the International Museum of Women, MIOW, US

2013 Video art by 19 Iranian women, Museo Ex-Teresa Arte Actual, Mexico City, MX

2013 Video art by 19 Iranian women, Digital Art Festival Fondland , Coimbra, PT

2012 The Last Tango in Tehran, Sharzad Gallery, New York, US

2012 The universe is built on a plan, curated by Nicole Loeser, Savvy Contemporary, Berlin, Germany

2011 “I & …” Photo series, Exhibit 320 Gallery, Delhi, IN

2011 The Third Eye, curated by Raul Zamudio, Other Gallery, Shanghai, CN

2011 The End of the Dream, curated by Nicole Loeser, MicaMoca Project, Berlin, DE

2010 The Stalking of Absence, curated by Shaheen Merali, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP Gallery, Tokyo, JP

2010 Tuba, mixed media exhibition, Ana Tzarev Gallery, New York, US

2010 Twice is too much, curated by Shaheen Merali, Free Museum, Berlin, DE

2010 BERUF Künstlerin, curated by Uta Koch, Bonn, Women's Museum Bonn, De

2010 The hair, curated by Uta Koch, Futura Gallery, Berlin, DE

2009 Tuba, mixed media exhibition, Freedom to Create Prize, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

2009 1001 Night, mixed media exhibition, WhiteBox Gallery, Munich, DE

2009 Culture of Torture, Torture in Culture, video art “Suffering”, Artneuland Gallery, Berlin, DE

Art Fairs

2022. Enter Art Fair w. Berg Gallery, Tunnelfabrikken, Copenhagen, DN

2018 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, SE

2017 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, SE

2016 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, SE

2015 ARTmART, Vienna, AUT

2010 Tokyo Photo, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP Gallery, Tokyo, JP

2011 India Art Summit, Exhibit 320 Gallery, Delhi, IN

Collections and Museums Represented

Pergamon Museum, Berlin, DE

German Bundestag, Berlin, DE

Freie Universität, Berlin, DE

Boras Konstmuseum, Boras, SE

Östergötlands Museum, Linköping, SE

Sveriges Allmänna Konstförening (SAK), SE

Stockholm Konst, SE

SSL, Stockholm, SE

Stockholms Läns Landsting (SLL) / Stockholm County Council, SE

Region Norrbotten / Norrbotten County Council, SE

Nortälje kommun / Norrtälje Municipality, SE

Uppsala kommun / Uppsala Municipality, SE

Örebro kommun / Uppsala Municipality, SE

Skånekommun / Uppsala Municipality, SE

Various private collections

Prints

Stockholms läns landsting, Uppsala kommun, Östergötlands läns landsting, Umeå kommun, Jönköpings läns landsting, Västerås konstmuseum, Kronobergs läns, Norrbottens läns landsting, Jämtlands läns landsting, Vetlanda kommun, Västra Götalands regionen, Södermanlands läns landsting, Dalarnas läns landsting, Riksdagsförvaltningen

Projekt organisation

2014              The Persian poetry text, in the catalogue Malihe Afnan, Gallery Kornfeld, Berlin, DE

2005-2010    Museum-expert in Museum for Islamic art Berlin, DE

2005              Assistance and production of the film “A Film about Belief”, Berlin

2000              Founded and Curator of the artists group “Artists without Borders” Tehran, IR

Professional Experience

Active as a contemporary mixed media artist, sculptor, installation artist, Photographer, video artist, drawer, new media, and printmaker