BORN
1978 Berkeley, CA
EDUCATION
2006 Master of Fine Arts, Stanford University, CA
2002 Bachelor of Fine Arts, San Francisco Art Institute, CA
SOLO SHOWS
2017 “au(ro)ra”, Anglim Gilbert Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Equation of Time”, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA.
“Mashrabiya: The Art of Looking Back”, Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco State University, CA.
2015 “Nowheresville \ ‘nä-kōja,-abäd \, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
2014 “Parallax”, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
Xinjiang Biennale (curated by Peng Feng), China
Palo Alto University Avenue Tunnel, Palo Alto, CA
2013 “cylinder.us”, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Absent Arrival”, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
“Elsewhen,” The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
2011 “Supermagic,” Galerie Bertrand & Gruner, Genéve. Switzerland
2010 “re-emergence,” Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
“Indelible Whispers of The Sun,” Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 “1388,” The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
“A Breath of Air,” Townsend Center for the Humanities, University of California Berkeley, CA
2008 “Epic Verse,” Community School of Music and Arts / Finn Center,
Mountain View, CA
2007 “Ala Ebtekar”,Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
2006 “Emergence: Elements,” Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
“Emergence,” Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA
2004 “Elemental,” Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2019 “What is an edition, anyway?”, McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
“The Moon: A Voyage Through Time”, Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada
“The Sheltering Sky”, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
2018 EXPO Chicago, Anglim Gilbert Gallery, Chicago, IL
“Visual Anthology: Artworks and the Book”, Anglim Gilbert Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“FAULTline”, Toby’s Art Gallery, Point Reyes Station, CA
“Long, Winding Journeys: Contemporary Art and the Islamic Tradition”, Katonah Museum of Art, NY
“Thekla”, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
“Safina”, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
2017 “Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times”, diRosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa, CA
“L’horreur du Vide”, Selma Feriani Gallery, Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
“Sanctuary”, FOR-SITE, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA.
“Detritus”, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), San Jose, CA.
“Mashrabiya: The Art of Looking Back”, The Fine Arts Gallery at SF State University, San Francisco, CA
“Esho Funi”, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2016 “Summer Programming”, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
2015 “Retrospective”, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
“Space Between Our Fingers”, Apexart Beirut, Beirut Lebanon
“Angels, Saints, and Co.”, Aaran Projects, Tehran, Iran.
“Formal Relations”, Taymour Grahne Gallery, New York, NY.
“Misappropriations”, Orange County Museum of Art, CA
2014 “State of the Art”, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Brentonville, AR
“The Vastness is Bearable”, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara Satellite,
Santa Barbara, CA
“Theory of Survival: Fabrications”, A project by Taraneh Hemami, Southern
Exposure, San Francisco, CA
“Encounter: Listening to the City”, Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah, UAE
“Now Read This”, Boise State University Arts Gallery, Boise, ID
“Equations of Sight-Similarity”, Sun\Ra Projects & On Stellar Rays, New York, NY
2013 “Bibliophilia”, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
“The Beginning of Thinking is Geometric”, Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah, United
Arab Emirates
“Migrating Identities”, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
“Faux Real”, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA
“Proximities: What Time is it There”, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
“Perpetuation of Myth”, The Museums of Los Gatos, Los Gatos, CA
2012 “In the Currents: Bay Area Iranian/American Art Today, Asian Resource Gallery,
Oakland, CA
“Visions from the New California,” 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA
“Art Worlds After 1989,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Lorenzstrabe, Germany
“Invoking Peace,” Euphrat Museum of Art at De Anza College, Cuppertino, CA
“Post-Pop,” Mahe Mehr Gallery, Tehran, Iran.
“The Elephant in The Dark,” Devi Art Foundation, Delhi, India.
2011 “December Group Show,” Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Portraits: Cabinet De CurlositEs” Galerie Bertrand & Gruner, Geneva
“The Global Contemporary, Art Worlds After 1989,” ZKM | Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
“WESTEND,” Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
“Snail Fever," The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
“Nothing to Say,” Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“My Super Hero: New Contemporary Art from Iran,” Aaran Gallery, Tehran, Iran &
Morono Kiang Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Postcards from Tehran,” 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA
“Dey Month,” Aun Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2010 – 2013 “BANNED & RECOVERED,” traveling exhibition
“In Translation.” Holster Projects, London, England
“Inaugural Group Show,” Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Iran Inside Out,” DIFC, Dubai, UAE.
“Everyone is Welcome: The Art of K.O.S.” NYCAMS Gallery, New York, NY.
2009 “Iran Inside Out,” Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY
"Iran Inside Out," DePaul University Art Museum, Chicago, IL
"Out of Bounds: Art from the Collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky," Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA
"Routes II," Waterhouse & Dodd, London, UK
"Iran Inside Out," Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY
"Balla-Drama," Paradise Row, London, England
"Summer 7," The Third Line, Doha, UAE
"SELSELEH/ZELZELEH: Movers & Shakers in Contemporary Iranian Art," Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery, New York, NY
"San Francisco Art Institute Faculty & Alumni: A Thin Slice," Baer Ridgway Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
“Hampah,” Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
"Beautiful / Decay: A-Z," Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
"Faces and Letters: Through the Eyes of Collectors in Qatar," Gallery VCUQatar, Doha, Qatar
“Group Exhibition,” David B. Smith Gallery, Denver, CO
2008 “Bay Area Now 5,” Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
“Pacific Light: California Watercolor Refracted 1907-2007,” Nordic Watercolor
Museum, Skärhamn, Sweden
"Conference of the Birds," Flawless Gallery, London, England
"Banned and Recovered: Artists Respond to Censorship," The San Francisco Center for the Book, San Francisco, CA.
"Summer Solos 2008," Pro Arts, Oakland, CA.
"One way or Another: Asian American Art Now," Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii
"East of the West," SomArts, San Francisco, CA.
"The Alternative Philosophy," Leonard Street Gallery, London, England
"One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now," Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA
“Pacific Light: California Watercolor Refracted 1907-2007,” Nordiska
Akvarellmuseet, Skarham, Sweden
"Make The Art You Need: The UC Berkeley Department of Art Faculty Show," Worth Ryder Gallery, University of California Berkeley, CA
“The Alternative Philosophy,” Leonard Street Gallery, London, UK
2007 “GRAPHIC: New Bay Area Drawing,” di Rosa Preserve, Napa, CA
"The Diane and Sandy Besser Collection," De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
"One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now," Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA
"Feel the Difference: Cultural Branding Remix," Works/San Jose, San Jose, CA
"One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now," Blaffer Gallery, University of Houston, Houston, TX
“Under the Indigo Dome,” The Third Line, Dubai
2006 “California Calligraphy Summit: Cali/Graffi,” San Francisco State University College of Creative Arts, San Francisco, CA
“2006 California Biennial,” Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
"One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now," Asia Society Museum, New York, NY
“10 Curatorial Perspectives,” Haven Arts, Bronx, NY
“AsiaAlive,” Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
“2006 MFA Thesis Exhibition,” Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery, Stanford, CA
2006 – 2008 “One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now,” Asia Society and Museum, New York, NY. Catalogue.
traveling to: Blaffer Gallery, University of Houston (January 20 – March 31, 2007); Berkeley Art Museum, University of California (September 19 – December 23, 2007); Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA (February 9 – May 2, 2008)
2005 “Do’Ka,” La Condition Publique, Roubaix, France
“Paper Cuts (again),” Fetterly Gallery, Vallejo, CA
“The Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship in the Fine Arts Exhibition,” SF Art Commission Gallery, SF, CA
“rePresent,” Oliver Art Center, CCA, Oakland, CA
“CrossConnections: of Past and Present,” Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2004 “A Look Forward and Back: Gallery 16’s Ten Year Anniversary,” Gallery 16, San Francisco CA
“The Wild Bunch 2,” THE ANNEX, New York, NY
“State of the Nation,” Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
“REBUS,” Paule Anglim Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2003 “Global Elegies: Art and Ofrendas for the Dead,” Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
“Pachanga!,” Galeria de la Raza, San Francisco, CA
“War of the Worlds,” in collaboration with Tim Rollins + K.O.S., White Box, New York, NY
“Purple with Love’s Wound,” in collaboration with Tim Rollins + K.O.S., University of Virginia Art Museum, Charlottesville, VA
“The Wild Bunch,” THE ANNEX, New York, NY
“Mark: Contemporary Drawings,” Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
“No War,” The Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2002 “Emerging Bay Area Artists,” San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA
2001 Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, CA.
“War: What is it Good For?” Asian Resource Center Gallery, Oakland, CA
2000 In collaboration with Tim Rollins + K.O.S. The De Young Memorial Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, CA
“Four Artists,” Blake Street Studio, Berkeley, CA
“Artists’ Books,” Walter/McBean Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1998 In collaboration with Tim Rollins + K.O.S., ZEUM, San Francisco, CA
In collaboration with Tim Rollins + K.O.S., Berkeley Art Museum, University of California at Berkeley
In collaboration with Tim Rollins + K.O.S., Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
1996 “Contemporary New Mexico Artists: Sketches and Schemas,” Site Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
AWARDS
2009 Visions from the New California Award
2008 San Francisco Center for the Book 2008 Artist in Residence
2006 Stanford University Paris Residency
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery Print Award
2005 Jack and Gertrude Murphy Fine Arts Fellowship
2001 Presidential Merit Scholarship, San Francisco Art Institute, CA
2000 Presidential Merit Scholarship, San Francisco Art Institute, CA
1999 Presidential Merit Scholarship, San Francisco Art Institute, CA
SELECTED REVIEWS AND ARTICLES
Kadvany, Elena, “Light-and-sound art coming to University Ave. Tunnel”, Palo Alto Online,
January 17, 2014
Raza, Sara “Ala Ebtekar: Future Perfect Past Tense” Harper’s Bazaar Art Arabia, Sept/Oct 2013.
Seaman, Anna “The Beginning of Thinking is Geometric reimagines maths through contemporary art”, The National, UAE. July 2013.
Ralph, Rachel “Ala Ebtekar creating a major space for himself in the contemporary art world”, Fecal Face, August 2013.
Smith, Kara Q. “Mix, Remix: Interview with Ala Ebtekar”, ArtSlant, August 2013.
McCarthy, Allison “Q&A with Bay Area Artist Ala Ebtekar”, 7x7, July 2013.
Curiel, Jonathan “Artist’s Statement: Ala Ebtekar on Coming of Age in Iran, and Finding His Early Muse in Hip-Hop
and Graffiti”, SF Weekly, June 2013.
Kalsi, Jyoti, “A Vision of the Future” Gulf News, February 10, 2012.
Lord, Christopher, “A new art exhibit explores the influence of music in the Middle East” The National, June 23 2011.
Zevitas, Steven, New American Painting issue 91, December 2010/January 2011.
Ibarra, Ana, interview, Elephant Magazine issue 4, Fall 2010.
Morris, Barbara, "Ala Ebtekar: re-emergence at Gallery Paule Anglim" art ltd. September/October 2010.
Leopold, Shelley, “LA Weekly Critics’ Choice: Indelible Whispers of the Sun” LA Weekly, September 9 2010
Morris, Barbara, “Ala Ebtekar: “re-emergence” at Gallery Paule Anglim, art ltd. September 2010
Regilio, Alexandria, “re-emergence” 96 Hours, San Francisco Chronicle, June 17-20, 2010.
Swanhuyser, Hiya, “Iran Away” SF Weekly, June 9, 2010
Vikram, Anuradha, “Bay Area Emergent” Artillery, May/June 2010.
Waxman, Lori, “Iran upside down and backward” Chicago Tribune October 23, 2009
Meredith, Emily, "Open to Interpretation" Khaleej Times, October 23 2009.
Good, Oliver, "Bold Embellishments" The National, October 21 2009.
Harouni, Shadi "Ala Ebtekar & Taravat Talepasand" THE Mag LA, June 2009.
Fischer, Jack, "All the Identities He Can Paint" Stanford Magazine, May/June 2009.
Vilayphonh, Catzie, Theme Magazine, Issue 19, May/June 2009.
Nakasone, Marisa, "A Sampling SFAI's Visionary Alums at Baer Ridgway Exhibitions" Examiner.com, May 2009.
Cheng, DeWitt, "Critic's Choice: A Breath of Air" East Bay Express, May 2009.
Meredith, Emily, "Art Work Removed from Gallery" Khaleej Times, March 23 2009.
Catching, Rebecca, "Art Dubai Buoyant Despite Crash and Clash" ARTINFO, March 2009.
Cheng, DeWitt, "We Are All Together" East Bay Express, July 2008.
Chun, Kimberly, "You're going to myth me, baby" San Francisco Bay Guardian, July 6, 2008.
Riggott, Julie, "Asian Art, by Way of Blondie" Los Angeles Downtown News, May 9, 2008.
Chun, Kimberly, "Ala Ebtekar," The SF Bay Guardian, January 30-February 5, 2008.
Leong, Lisa, "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other" Asia Pacific Arts December 2007.
Bing, Alison, "One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now", Artweek December/January 2008.
Spicer, Jakki, "Boxed in" East Bay Express November 21 2007.
Baker, Kenneth, San Francisco Chronicle August 11 2007.
Carver, Antonia, “ Amir H Fallah and Ala Ebtekar, Under the Indigo Dome” Bidoun Spring 2007, pg 112
Hung, Melissa, “Ala Ebtekar” HYPHEN Spring 2007, pg 38-43
Ascarelli, Brett, “Art Imitates Design” Bohemian January 31-February 6, 2007
Schmidt, Kirsten, “Poetic Vision and Abundant Culture” NY Arts September/October 2006.
Muchnic, Suzanne, “The state’s just a state of mind” Los Angeles Times October 7 2006.
Patel, Vibhuti, “Insiders Looking Out” Newsweek October 2 2006.
Budick, Ariella, “Ranging as far and wide as the Asian continent” Newsday September 22 2006.
Kunitz, Daniel, “Defying the Definitive” The New York Sun September 14 2006.
Berwick, Carly, “Stripteases, Sheiks, Sneakers Are Today’s Asian-American Art” Bloomberg September 12 2006.
Smith, Roberta, “A Melange of Asian Roots and Shifting Identities” New York Times September 8 2006.
Rios, Natalie, “From animal heads to Zoetropes” The Stanford Daily May 16 2006, pg 3.
KQED TV, “Artist Profile – Ala Ebtekar” KQED Spark May 2006.
Buuck, David, “Ala Ebtekar at the Richmond Art Center” Artweek April 2006, pg 13-14.
Deparis, Marie, “Do’Ka, c’est tout de suite, a la Condition Publique” Art Contemporain (France) October 2005.
Mortaigne, Veronique, “Artistes d’Orient au festival Do’Ka” Le Monde (France) September 22 2005.
Esso, Jordan, “Paper Cuts (again) at Fetterly Gallery” Artweek Vol.36, Issue 9, 2005,
pg 13-14
Whiteside, Amber, “Ala Ebtekar” Sculpture Vol.24, No.3, 2005, pg 68-69
Lidgus, Sarah, “Ala Ebtekar” Contemporary Issue 66, 2004, pg 67.
Bing, Alison, “Elemental” Bidoun Fall 2004
Buckner, Clark, “Critic’s Choice: Art” The SF Bay Guardian June 30 2004, pg 75
Bing, Alison, “Elemental” SF Gate 6/2003.
Avila, Robert, “Eight Days a Week” The SF Bay Guardian June 16 2004, pg 71
Snyder, Jason, Fourteen Hills: The SFSU Review Summer/Fall 2004, pg 154-161
Chlala, Youmna, “A Breath of Air” Eleven Eleven: CCA Literary Arts Journal Spring 2004,
pg 60-61.
Bing, Alison, “'REBUS' and Barry McGee at Gallery Paule Anglim” Artweek March 2004,
pg 14.
Bing, Alison, “The Bigger Picture: Painting and Politics” Kitchen Sink Summer 2003, pg 64.
Buuck, David, “Mark: Contemporary Drawings” Artweek July/August 2003, pg 12.
Bing, Alison, “Mark: Contemporary Drawings” SF Gate 5/2003.
Lewallen, Constance, “Rollins + K.O.S., A Survey of Works on Paper” Berkeley Art Museum Newsletter 1/1999, pg 5.
Ganahl, Jane, "Opening Young Minds to Art" San Francisco Examiner 1/13/98, pg C-1.
INTERVIEWS AND MEDIA
Ralph, Rachel, “Ala Ebtekar creating a major space for himself in the contemporary art world”, FecalFace August 8 2013.
Smith, Kara Q. “Mix, Remix: Interview with Ala Ebtekar”, ArtSlant, August 2013.
McCarthy, Allison “Q&A with Bay Area Artist Ala Ebtekar”, 7x7SF, July 2013.
Curiel, Jonathan “Artist’s Statement: Ala Ebtekar on Coming of Age in Iran, and Finding His Early Muse in Hip-Hop
and Graffiti”, SF Weekly, June 2013.
Raza, Sara, Nostalgia for The Future – Ala Ebtekar in Conversation with Sara Raza”, Ibraaz, May 2012.
Darband, Tahniat “Ala Ebtekar Profile” Voice of America TV
Ibarra, Ana, interview, Elephant Magazine issue 4, Fall 2010.
Lang, Scott, “Ala Ebtekar” iQ, October 2009, pg 30-31.
Houng, Cynthia, “Ala Ebtekar Interview” Fecal Face.com, December 18 2007.
Kendall, Hynam, “A Meeting of Minds” InsideOut (United Arab Emirates), May 2007, pg 118-124.
Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive 2007.
City 7 TV, “Good Morning Dubai” January 17 2007.
KQED TV, “Artist Profile - Ala Ebtekar” KQED Spark May 2006.
KPFA 94.1, “Hard Knock Radio” July 15 2004.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
Berkeley Art Museum
Devi Art Foundation
UCSF Medical Center
Deutsche Bank Collection
Orange County Museum of Art
Crocker Art Museum
The Farjam Collection
de Young Museum, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
Stanford University