Helia Pouyanfar
(b. 1995, Iran)

helia.pouyanfar@gmail.com https://heliapouyanfar.com/ IG @heliapouyanfar

Education
2022     University of California Davis, MFA in Studio Art
2019      University of California Berkeley, BA in Art Practice

Awards, Fellowships, Grants, and Nominations
2024     Right Here, Right Now, Richmond Art Center Commissioning and Exhibition AwardRecipient
2024     2024 SECA Art Award, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Nominee
2023     2023 Young Sculptors Competition, William and Dorothy Yeck Award, Miami University, Finalist
2023     2024 Berkeley Civic Arts Individual Artist Project Grant, City of Berkeley, Grantee
2023     Kala’s 2023-2024 Fellowship and Special Program Award, Kala Art Institute, Recipient
2023     Juror’s Choice Award, Berkeley Art Center, Recipient
2022     Headlands Center for the Arts Graduate FellowshipFinalist and Alternate
2022     Dedalus Foundation MFA FellowshipNominee
2021      Margrit Mondavi Graduate Fellowship, UC Davis Humanities Institute, Recipient
2021      Mary Lou Osborn Award, UC Davis Art Studio MFA, Recipient
2019      Lauren Krikorian Memorial Prize, UC Berkeley Art Practice, Recipient
2019      Certificate of Excellence in Sculpture, UC Berkeley Art Practice, Recipient
2018      Honors Program and Studio, UC Berkeley Art Practice, Recipient

Solo Exhibition
2024     Breathing House, FOYER-LA, Los Angeles (forthcoming)
2018     Reflection Garden, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
2018     Rhythmical Abstraction, 165, Project Space 1, UC Berkeley

Group Exhibitions
2024     Right Here, Right Now, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA
2024     Around About, MUZ Collective, San Francisco and Oakland, CA
2024     Kala Arts Fellowship and Media Fellowship Exhibition, Kala Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2023     2023 International Juried Exhibition, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
2023     Apostrophe, Personal Space, Vallejo, CA
2023     The de Young Open 2023, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
2023     Young Sculptors Exhibition, Miami University, OH
2023     ME in a(ME)rica, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
2023     Excursions, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
2023     Selvedge, FOYER-LA, Los Angeles, CA
2023     Pyramid Scheme, Bass and Reiner, San Francisco, CA
2023     FORECAST 2023, SF Camerawork, San Francisco, CA
2023     Rebirth, WAVE Collective Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2023     Woman, Life, Freedom, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
2023     Prismatic, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
2023     Anonymouslyاز Iran, Culture Lab LIC at The Plaxall Gallery, Queens, NY
2022     Mirror Material, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
2022     Path, The Niche at Dovetail Magazine, Scotland
2022     Introductions 2022, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
2022     Axis Gallery's 17th National Juried Exhibition, Sacramento, CA
2022     Topophilia, Art and Humanities 2022 Gradate Exhibition, Manetti Shrem Museum, Davis, CA
2021      Free Fall, Brittany, Vallejo, CA 
2021     Un/Equal Freedoms: Expressions for Social Justice, Center on Race, Immigration, and Social
             Justice, Sacramento State University, CA
2020     Reflection, National Juried Exhibition, Arc Gallery & Studios, San Francisco, CA 
2019      Liminal Space: Spring 2019 Senior Thesis Exhibition, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley
2019      Support Group, call (510) 402-2086, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley
2018     The Berkeley Biennial, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley
2018     Re-reimagined, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley
2018     Everything Must Go, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, UC Berkeley

Publication
2024     Toronto Zine Fair, Falgoush Journal, Toronto
2024     Paris Ass Book Fair, Falgoush Journal, Paris
2024     San Francisco Art Fair, Personal Space, Fort Mason, San Francisco
2024     New York Art Book Fair, Falgoush Journal, New York City
2023     SFMOMA Book Bazaar with Kala Art Institute, SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
2023     New York City Poetry Festival, Falgoush Journal, New York City 
2023     East Village Zine Fest, Falgoush Journal, New York City
2022     Topophilia, UC Davis Art Studio MFA, Exhibition Catalog
2022     Once There, Now Here, Open Ceilings, Summer 2022 Issue
2022     - Once, in passing, Edition One Books, Self-Publication 
2020     Reflection Catalog, Arc Gallery & Studios, National Juried Exhibition 
2020     MFA Never Catalog, Root Division, 2020 Archive Project/ Juried Exhibition 
2020     Made at Berkeley Showcase Book, Issue 04, Berkeley Arts + Design

Talks and Interviews
2024     Where the Tree Grows, Kala Art Gallery, Artist Talk
2024     Passage, San Jose City College, Artist Talk
2023     Religious Traditions and Intellectual Work, Berkeley Institute, Public Lecture
2023     FORECAST 2023, SF Camerawork, Exhibition Walkthrough
2023     Excursions, Berkeley Art Center, Artist Talk and Panel Discussion
2023     Passage, UC Berkeley, Artist Talk
2022     Once There, Now Here, UC Berkeley’s Senior Projects Seminar, Artist Talk
2021      The lives of UC Davis art students in quarantine, California Aggie, Interview
2021      Episode 6: New Beginnings Podcast, Basement Gallery, Interview
2020     Reflection Exhibition, Arc Gallery, Artist Talk

Teaching, Internships, and Committees
Current               Middle School Teaching Artist and Faculty, The Berkeley School, Berkeley, CA
Summer 2022   Beginning Photography, Lecturer, University of California, Davis, CA
Spring 2022      Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Appointed Member, Art Studio Department, 
                           University of California, Davis, CA       
Spring 2022     Intermediate Printmaking: Relief, Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, University of 
                          California, Davis, CA
Winter 2022     Beginning Photography, Associate Instructor, University of California, Davis, CA
Fall 2021           Contemporary Art Appreciation, Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, University of
                          California, Davis, CA
Spring 2021      Contemporary Art Appreciation, Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, University of
                          California, Davis, CA
Winter 2021      Beginning Drawing, Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, University of California,
                          Davis, CA
Fall 2020          Beginning Sculpture, Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, University of California,
                          Davis, CA
Summer 2019   Studio Assistant, Brody Reiman’s Studio, Berkeley, CA
Summer 2018   Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Internship Program, Skirball Cultural Center,
                           Los Angeles, CA


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