Artwork

About

I am an interdisciplinary artist working primarily with textile-based processes. I hold a BFA in Textile Design and am currently pursuing an MFA in Fibers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. My work has been presented in juried exhibitions, including the 39th Annual Materials: Hard + Soft at the Greater Denton Arts Council in Texas, PhotoSpiva 2026 at Spiva Center for the Arts in Missouri, and In Black & White, a virtual exhibition by Site Brooklyn Gallery.

My practice is shaped by lived experience, self-observation, and the emotional weight of in-between spaces. I explore inner struggles shaped by the environment, a theme reflected throughout my artistic expression. I examine dualities including presence and absence, concealment and revelation, and fragility and endurance. Across materials, I carry memory, silence, and resistance while holding softness as strength.

Before moving to the United States, I worked as a textile designer, photographer, and printmaker and founded my own art shop, where I created handmade woven pieces. I have also collaborated with arts organizations and led community workshops.

Zara Shahi portrait

CV

Education

MFA, Fibers University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, MA

BFA, Textile Design University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

Work Experience

Gallery Assistant - College of Visual and Performing Arts, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (Dartmouth, MA)

Studio Assistant - Jonathan Michaud Studio (Brooklyn, NY)

Teaching Assistant - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (Dartmouth, MA)

Photographer - Lozee Advertising Agency (Tehran, Iran)

Printmaker - Dotan Studio (Tehran, Iran)

Macramé Artist and Owner - Leev Art Studio (Tehran, Iran)

Textile Designer - Naghsh Negaran Pendar Company (Tehran, Iran)

Teaching Experience

Community Weaving Workshop - New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (New Bedford, MA)

Hatch Studios Weaving Workshop - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (New Bedford, MA)

CVPA Weaving Workshop - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (Dartmouth, MA)

Summer Community Projects - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (Dartmouth, MA)

Commissions and Projects

Interior Design Weaving Installation (Midland, TX)

Weaving Project Floor Loom Weaving (Dartmouth, MA)

Big Sky Cast-Offs Paper Quilts (Dartmouth, MA)

Being Seen: Celebrating SouthCoast Pride - DATMA (Project with Liz Collins) Public Art (New Bedford / Dartmouth MA)

Residencies

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (New Bedford, MA)

Professional Service and Leadership

Vice President - CVPA Fibers Club, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Orientation Leader - International Student and Scholar Center, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Public Art Installation Team Member - DATMA (Design Art Technology Massachusetts) (Dartmouth, MA)

Awards and Scholarships

Gallery Assistantship - Partial Scholarship University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Teaching Assistantship - Full Scholarship University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Exhibitions

Unforgotten Solo Exhibition (New Bedford, MA)

Still We Bloom Group Exhibition (New Bedford, MA)

Materials: Hard + Soft - Weaving Group Exhibition (Denton, TX)

In Black & White - Photography Online Exhibition (Site: Brooklyn)

Lighting the Star Store - Fiber Art, Photography Group Exhibition (New Bedford, MA)

Hatch Studios - Fiber Art, Photography Group Exhibition (New Bedford, MA)

Art Current - Fiber Art, Photography Group Exhibition (New Bedford, MA)

Heimtextil - Surface Design Group Exhibition (Frankfurt, Germany)

The Third Step - Photography Group Exhibition (Tehran, Iran)

Publications and Press

New Bedford artist-in-residence leads community weaving project.

This artist uses fibre to create minimalist textile installations.

New Bedford National Historical Park 2026 Artist Residency

Artists of the Year 2025 - Arts to Hearts Magazine

101 Art Book: Photography Edition - Arts to Hearts Magazine