Born in Iran, Avish Khebrehzadeh has lived in Madagascar, UK, Italy and the United States. The experience of migrating to different countries is expressed by her work, which is imbued with a strong sense of dislocation and unease.

Khebrehzadeh’s work extends to drawing, paintings and animation and is realised through the use of unusual media, for instance olive oil and resin on paper. The chosen subjects often invoke an imagined reality, which is nevertheless strongly tied to the artist’s experience and her geographical and psychological disquiet. Although concrete and accessible Khebrehzadeh’s visual vocabulary retains a sense of mystery, which leaves space for our imagination. As the artist says: “Mystery is good… I don’t want things definable.”

Her most recent solo exhibitions have been held at National Gallery of Art, Washington (2021); Fondazione Volume!, Rome (2016); Ursula Blickle Foundation, Kraichtal, Germany (2014); and GAM, Turin (2013). In 2011 she earned the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship. In 2014 she was awarded with the Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship. Recent group exhibitions include: Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2021); National Gallery of Art, Washington (2020); Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy (2017); Ursula Blickle Foundation, Germany (2013), among others.

Khebrehzadeh’s work is included in important public collections such as: GAM, Turin; MONA, Tasmania, Australia; MACRO Museum, Rome; MAXXI Museum, Rome; and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

Khebrehzadeh also participated in the Santa Fe Biennial (2010), Liverpool Biennial (2008) and 50th Venice Biennial (2003) where she was awarded the Lion D’or for her contribution to the Italian Pavilion, the “Young Italian Art Award”.