Biography Raha Rastifard

Lives and works in Stockholm

Raha Rastifard is an Iranian-German artist, her work ranges from photography to Video, design and installations. Her work always stems from her personal experiences, and is largely autobiographical. In her highly lyrical art, she creates works full of (trans)cultural, poetic and historical art reference. Her work as an artist is based on narrating a story. Her art has no nationality, she believe that art does not recognize borders or nations, it can travel freely. She strongly believe in interculturalism and her message of art is universal.

Raha Rastifard went on to graduate from the National University of Art in Tehran with a Bachelor degree in 2000. After that moved she to Germany to gain new experiences in art and to study. In 2011, she achieved a Master's degree in European and Islamic Art History and Iranian Studies at the Frei University Berlin and has also studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm in 2016 and 2018.

During all these years, Rastifard has been very productive as a contemporary mixed media artist, her work has been exhibited internationally, including solo Exhibition in Pergamon Museum Berlin. She was Finalist for “Freedom to Create Prize” and she has exhibited in Victoria & Albert Museum London as part of a group Exhibition.
Her work has also exhibited in galleries and public space in New York City, Tokyo, New Delhi, Kabul, Stockholm, Mexico City, Shanghai, Pori (finland), Montreal and Konsthall Malmö Sweden.

Rastifard's works are in several private collections and international galleries, as well as in the Pergamon Museum collection in Berlin.

CV Raha Rastifard

Education

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

2015-2016 The Advanced course in Fine Arts for professional artists at the Royal Institute of Art´s, Stockholm, Sweden

2014 Professional training in museum management

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

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

Award and Grants

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

2018 One year working grant from Konstnärsnämden, Sweden

2014-15 Internationell Kulturutbyte grant, Konstnärsnämden, Sweden

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

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

Commissions

2017 Metro Station Norsborg, Stockholm, Sweden, opend to the public March 2017

2017 Norrbyskolan in Örebro, Sweden, opend to the public November 2017

2019 Danderyds sjukhus Stockholm, Sweden, opend to the public Nuvember 2019

2020 Offentligt arbete "Fifth Element" ljusskulptur, Pågående offentligt arbete på Östergötlands museum, Linköping

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

Solo Exhibitions

 2021 Galleri Berg, "Rest in natural great peace", Stockholm

 2021 Grafiska sällskapet, Stockholm

2020 Konstfrämjandet Bergslagen, Örebro, Sverige

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

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

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

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

2007 “Tuba”, Mixed media exhibition, Pergamon museum, Berlin, Germany

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

Selection Group Exhibitions

2021 ”Pyramid of Democracy” was part of the Stockholm summer exhibition

2020 Liljevalchs vårsalong, Stockholm, Sverige

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

2017 GRAFIK 2017, Oskarshamns konsthall,sweden

2017 Lady Dada Kalam's WHITE CUBE, berlin, Germany

2016 Avesta Art, Avesta, Sweden

2016 Music Art, Stockholm, Sweden

2016 Kunstquartier Bethanien Berlin, Germany

2016 Nordens Ljus Gallery, kungsholmsstrand, stockholm

2015 The Pergamon Palais, Berlin, Germany

2015 ARTmART, Vienna, Austria

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

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

2015 “Suffering”, Sundsvalls Konstförening, Sundsvalls, Sweden

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

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

2013 Stockholm Photography Week, Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

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

2013 Selected "If it isn't too dark" Photo series for International Museum of Women’s, MIOW, USA

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

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

2012 The last Tango in Tehran, Sharzad Gallery, New York, USA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010 BERUF Künstlerin, curated by Uta Koch, Bonn, Women Museum Bonn, Germany

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

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

2009 1001 night, mixed media exhibition, WhiteBox Gallery, Munich, Germany

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

Art Fairs

2018 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, Sweden

2017 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, Sweden

2016 Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, Sweden

2015 ARTmART, Vienna, Austria

2010 Tokyo Photo, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

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

Collections and Museums Represented

Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germany

Parliament Berlin (Bundestag), Germany

Frei University Berlin, Germany 

SL, Metro Stockholm, Sweden

SLL, Stockholms läns landsting, Sweden

Different 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

Commission Project

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

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

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

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

Professional Experience

Active as a contemporary mixed media artist, sculpture, installations, Photographer, video artist, drawing, new median and printmaker

Contact

raharastifard@yahoo.de