Sara Shamsavari is a British artist of Iranian heritage. Born in Tehran in the midst of the Iranian revolution, Sara overcame childhood cancer while she and her family fled persecution and were granted asylum in the UK. Her survival and upbringing in London has engendered a profound desire to make a difference through her artistic work.
Shamsavari’s works explore and celebrate global identity and transformation at a time of increased division, conflict and polarisation around the world. While each of her photographic series has a distinct focus, together, they all seek to encourage a deeper understanding of our nuances as human beings in contrast to the current popular narratives that misrepresent, malign and often succeed in dividing and ‘othering’ those in the minority- including the wide spectrum of people referred to as ‘immigrants’.
Her work has been exhibited internationally in galleries, museums, public and political spaces including the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago), Museum of African Diaspora (San Francisco) ICA, City Hall (London), Espace Pierre Cardin (Paris), Fondazione Biagiotti Progretto Arte (Florence) and Rush Arts Gallery (New York) . Her work, exhibitions and profile have been featured multiple times across various media and publications including BBC1, ITN, SKY1, New York Times, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Elle, i-D and Dazed & Confused.
In 2017 Sara's works show at the Lowe Museum of art (Miami) and The Provincial Centre for Plastic Art and Design (Havana) and as part of the Reinventions Exhibition in Lagos Nigeria. Her works are also published as part of the books Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style (S. Lewis, Aperture) and Resignifications ( A. Ampka, Postcart).
Connect and explore more of Sara's work on her main site: Sara Shamsavari