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Illya Mousavijad
Art practice and teaching portfolio
Illya Mousavijad is a multidisciplinary, conceptual artist. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and his Master of Fine Arts at Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. Illya’s art practice investigates the limits and extents of exile, exile literature, pro-justice movements and civil resistance, border and identity politics, Middle East history, US and Iran relations. He works across varied media including computer animation, VR, installation, painting, sculpture, and video. He has collaborated with international artists of various disciplines and exhibited globally. Illya is currently Assistant Professor in Art, Technology, Race, and Culture at The Ohio State University.
Education
2021 Master of Fine Arts, Weitzman School pf Design, University of Pennsylvania
2018. Bachelor of Fine Arts, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2014 Graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy
Solo Exhibitions
2011 "Between a Lost Home and a Losing Destination", Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
2011 Namayeshgahe Asare Mousavijad, Issa Bahadori Gallery, Isfahan, Iran
Namayeshgahe Asare Mousavijad, Apadana Gallery, Isfahan, Iran
Group Exhibitions
2023 Short Shorts Film Festival, McDonough Museum of Art, Youngstown, OH
Iran: Deciphering Violence and Resistance, Urban Arts Space, Columbus, OH
2021 Double Feature, Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia, PA
2019 Woodmere 76th Annual Exhibition, Woodmere Museum, German town, PA
2018 Without Roots We Are Nothing, Esther Klein Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
We Got Used to New Us, Twelve Gates gallery, Philadelphia, PA
PAFA: Now, NOBA Artspace, Bala Cynwyd, PA
2017 Crosscurrents, Annenberg Gallery, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA
Fold: Ten Conversations, Curated by Ivanco Talevski, C.R. Ettinger Gallery
Warming, PAFA, Philadelphia/ Chestnut Hill, PA
2016 Crosscurrent, Annenberg Gallery, PAFA, PA
For in One, When Humanity Rains, 128 Gallery, PAFA, PA
Happiness, Liberty, life, group exhibition, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA
2015 YoungArts Invitational, Flomenhaft Gallery, Chelsea, NY
YoungArts Visual Arts Exhibition, Miami, FL
2014 Senior Thesis Show, Interlochen Arts Academy, MI
Juried student Exhibition, Interlochen Arts Academy, MI
Oliver’s Grope Show Frankfort, MI
2013 VA Student Show, Interlochen Arts Academy, MI
2010 Student Show, School of Fine Arts, Isfahan, Iran
Awards
2023 Art Creation Grants, Office of Vice Provost, OSU, Columbus, OH
Office of Vice Provost, OSU, Columbus, OH
2017 Venture Fund Grant, PAFA, PA
2016 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, 1st Grant, Canada
2015 YoungArts Foundation finalist, Miami, FL
Honorable mention, Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen, MI
2014 Donald R. Caldwell Merit Full Tuition scholarship, PAFA- Philadelphia, PA
Award of Excellence, Frankfort, MI
Scholastics Arts Awards, KC
President's choice award, I. A . A, MI
President's choice painting, I.A.A, MI
2013 On Your Way Scholarships Awards
2011 Visual Arts Olympiad of Iran, Iran
Residencies
2017 Yale Norfolk, CT
Publication
2023 Harshavardhan Bhat on "Between a Lost Home and a Losing Destination", Wexner Center for the Arts
2015 Manifest International Drawing Annual vol. 10
2014 Interlochen Visual Art Press
2013 Red Wheelbarrow, Interlochen Writing House, MI
Lectures / Media
2023
2022
2021
2019
“An Otherwise Data” Conference discussing materialities, ecologies, technologies, politics, media and stories of race and data in art field, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University
Commemorating “Woman, Life, Freedom” Interview, BBC Persian by Bahman Kalbasi
Revolution, exile fuel “Iran: Deciphering Violence and Resistance”, MatterNews, by Andy Downing
Artists Panel for “Iran: Deciphering Violence and Resistance”,Urban Arts Gallery
Radio Interview with Ohio State Professor Illya Mousavijad, Art Makes Columbus
“Iran: Deciphering Violence and Resistance” focuses on systematic oppression, magnifies artists and activists’ voices, The Lantern by Paige McBane
“Realtime and Virtual Reality Animation” demonstration and lecture exploring aspects of digital space and time through real-time VR animation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
“Animating with Computer Dynamics” demonstration and lecture exploring aspects of computer dynamics, University of Maryland, MD
“Iran/US” a lecture in introduction of Illya Mousavijad’s painting, installation, and animation exploring and articulating spaces of exile, Department of Art, The Ohio State University
“A Night at a Pottery Shop” a lecture on the intersection of animation and exile Invited by Dr. Karen Redrobe and Dr. Meta Mazaj to present at Global Film Theory class, Penn Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, PA
“Existing In-Between: Spatial Precarity in Literature and Art”, Sponsored by Weitzman School of Design, Hosted by Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
“A Landscape and Urban Planning Briefing on Isfahan”, Invited by Professor David Gouverneur at Contemporary Urbanism Class, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, PA
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