Sonia Balassanian

1942. Born in Arak, Iran

1970
1970
Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Quaker Prize for Meritorious Achievement
1970
Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Thouron Prize for Outstanding Composition
1970
Completed her B.F.A., Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
1970
Show, "Public & Private Collections", Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
1970
Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: J. Henry Scheidt European Prize
1971
Independent study program, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1971
Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Drake Press Prize
1972
Returned to Iran
1972
Taught Art at the Institute of Fine Arts in Tehran and at the National, and Farabi Universities of Iran for four years
1974
Composition No. 4 1974
1975
Solo show, Zarvan Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1976
Art Fair, Basel International Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland
1976
Returned to the United States to do her MFA
1976
Group show, "Woman and Art", International Art Center, Tehran
1976
Group show, "Eighty Years of Modern Art in Iran", Iran- America Cultural Center, Tehran
1976
Public collection, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
1976
Private collection, Tomas Tomassian Collection
1976
Solo show, Saman Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1977
Group show, Washington Art ’77 Show, Washington, D.C., USA
1977
Group show, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran
1978
Finished her M.F.A. degree at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, USA
1978
Solo show, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, USA
1979
Took up permanent residence in New York, USA
1980
1980
Solo show, "Hostages: A Diary", Elise Meyer Gallery, New York
1980
Group show, Artspace, Middlesex, UK
1980
Group show, "Artists and Contemporary Issues", Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, Hartford, USA
1980
Group show, "Artists and Contemporary Issues", Artspace, Middlesex, USA
1980
Group show, "Rendering of the Modern Woman", Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, Hartford, USA
1980
Show, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran, Iran
1981
Group show, "Messages: Words and Images", Freeman Gallery, Albright College, Reading, USA
1981
Untitled 1981
1982
Solo show, "Black, Black Days", Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York
1982
Group show, Alternative Museum, New York
1982
Group show, "Visual Politics", Louis Abrons Arts for Living Center, New York
1982
Group show, "Beyond Aesthetics: Art of Necessity by Artists of Conscience", Just Above Midtown/Downtown Gallery, New York
1982
Set design, "There Might Have Been An Insane Heart”, Selected Poems in the Armenian Language by Sonia Balassanian, New York
1983
Group show, Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle, UK
1983
Group show, "Newcastle Salutes New York", Institute for Art and Urban Resources, P.S.1, Queens, USA
1983
Group show, "Seven Women/Image Impact", Ornaments as Sculpture: An Show of Small Works, Sculpture Center, New York
1983
Set design, "Portraits", New York
1984
Show, Pyramid Arts Center, Rochester, USA
1984
Show, "Introspective", Calligraffiti, Leila Taghinia-Milani Gallery, New York
1985
Group show, Merilyn Pink Gallery, Los Angeles
1985
Show, "The American Experience: Contemporary Immigrant Artists", Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, USA
1985
Show, The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Philadelphia, USA
1985
Show, Lake view Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, USA
1985
Show, Sponsored by Statue of Liberty Committee, Organized by the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies and Independent Curators Incorporated
1986
Public & private collection, Pippo and Carla Traversi Collection
1986
Show, "Transculture/Transmedia", Exit Art, New York
1987
Public collection, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia
1988
Group show, "Committed to Print", The Museum of Modern Art, New York
1989
Set design, "Eyeless Tears in a Universe of Ether", Directed by Linda Rappaport, Dia Art Foundation, New York
1989
Show, "On the Cutting Edge: 10 Curators Choose 30 Artists", Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, NY
1989
Solo show, "Brooding", Exit Art, New York
1990
1990
Group show, "Memory/Reality", Presented by NYFAI, Ceres Gallery, New York
1991
Group show, "Burning in Hell", A collection of artists' book projects invited by Nancy Spero, Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York
1991
Set design, "The True Story of a Woman Born in Iran and Raised to Heaven in Manhattan", Written and directed by Assurbanipal Babilla, New York
1991
Set design, "To Present Dreams of Emotions To the Noisy Rain", Selected poems in the Armenian Language by Sonia Balassanian, New York
1992
Set design, "Law of Remains", A performance created and designed by Reza Abdo and presented by Dar A Luz, New York
1992
Annual group shows of painting, Sculpture and installation by Armenian and international avant-garde artists, Curated and participated in by Sonia Balassanian, in Yerevan, Armenia
1992
Solo show, "The Other Side", The Sculpture Center, New York
1993
Solo show, "Shadows of my Sisters", Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, USA
1993
Group show, "Readymade Identities", Works of 6 artists at the Project Room, The Museum of Modern Art, New York
1993
Show, "Readymade Identities", The Museum of Modern Art, New York
1995
Group show, "Armenia: The Rediscovery of a Land of Ancient Culture", An Show of Armenian Art from Prehistoric Times to Present
1995
Show, CARGO International Center of Visual Arts, Marseille, France
1995
Show, Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy
1995
Show, International Biennale of Group Art, Bochum Museum, Bochum, Germany
1997
Participated in the 47th Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy
1997
Venice biennale, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy
1998
Show, "Remembering Times Past", Apex Art Gallery, New York
1998
Rain
1999
Show, Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy
1999
Group show, "On the Cutting Edge: 10 Curators Choose 30 Artists", Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, USA
1999
Group show, "Nabelschau", Artotel, Dresden, Germany
2000
2000
Group show, "Continental Shift", Stadsgalerij Heerlen, The Netherlands
2000
Group show, Ludwig Forum for International Art, Achen, Germany
2000
Show, "The End: An Independent Vision of Contemporary Culture", Curated by David Galloway, Exit Art, New York
2000
Group show, "Collapse of Illusion", A multimedia performance event at public park, Including 4 new video pieces by Sonia Balassanian, ACCEA, Yerevan, Armenia
2000
Public collection, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art
2001
Group show, "4 Artists of the Armenian Diaspora", Museum de Lakenhal, The Netherlands
2001
Private collection, Prof. Edward M. Bergman Collection
2002
Group show, Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy
2002
Show, "Brooding...", A multimedia performance event organized on the occasion of 10th anniversary of founding of ACCEA, Yerevan
2002
Group show, "Shadows of Dust", A multimedia performance event, Yerevan
2004
Solo show, "Drawings by Sonia Balassanian", Armenian Center for Contemporary Art, Yerevan
2005
Group show, "Photo+", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan
2005
Group show, "Woman Dialogue", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan
2006
Group show, "Face a Face-Armenie", Photography of Armenian photographers, Curated by Edward Balassanian
2006
Group show, "The Contemporary Persian Scene: The American and European Experience", Leila Taghinia-Milani & Heller Gallery, New York
2006
Group show, "Don’t be Scared: Political Art by Armenian Artists", Curated by David Kareyan, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan
2006
Group show, "Art Without Borders", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan
2006
Group show, "Social Games", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan
2006
Published Work, "Two Books", Republication of two books of poems by Sonia Balassanian (1982-1991) in one combined volume, Yerevan
2006
Published work, "Portraits", Second Edition, Yerevan
2007
Video works include a split-screen installation made for the Armenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
2007
Group show, "Yerevan Crisis", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Yerevan
2008
Group show, "The Gates of Mediterranean", Curated by Martina Corgnati, Palazzo Piozzo - Casa del Conte Verde, Rivoli, Italy
2010
2013
Show, "Armenian Contemporary Art", National Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia
2014
Group show, "UPDATE/POST MEMORY", International Video Art with Eastern Perspective, Curated by Susanne Altmann, Motorenhalle, Dresden
2014
Group show, "Neighbors: Contemporary Narratives from Turkey and Beyond", Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey
2014
Expanse of Calm 2014
2015
Participated in the 14th Istanbul Biennial, Turkey
2018
Solo show, "Changing Geographical Coordinates", Homa Gallery, Tehran
2019
Group show, "Collectionner", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2019
Group show, "Out of the Shadows", ACCEA, Yarevan
2020
2020
Art fair, Teer Art, Represented by Dastans Basement Gallery, Tehran
2021
Group show, "Cacophony", Cromwell Place, London
2021
Art fair, Asia Now, Represented by Ab Anbar Gallery, Paris
2021
Group show, "Turning Point 3: Part One", Liam Gallery, Tehran
2021
Group show, "Turning Point 4", Liam Gallery, Tehran
2021
Group show, "The Collection of Liam Gallery", Liam Gallery, Tehran
2022
Group show, "A Selection of Modern Works from The Laal Collection", O Gallery, Tehran
2022
Hessam Samavatian and Sonia Balassanian"Merging Horizons ", Ab Anbar Gallery, London
2022
Solo show, "Five Decades in the Making", Ab Anbar Gallery, London
2023
Group show, "In the Heart of Another Country: The Diasporic Imagination Rises", Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah
2023
Group show, "Uucharted Echoes", Ab Anbar Gallery, London
2024
Group show, "A Collection", Plus 2, Tehran
2026
Group show, "Drawing Week Vol.6, Homage to Ahmad Amin Nazar", Homa Art Gallery, Tehran

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1942. Born in Arak, Iran

1970

Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Quaker Prize for Meritorious Achievement

1970

Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Thouron Prize for Outstanding Composition

1970

Completed her B.F.A., Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

1970

Show, "Public & Private Collections", Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

1970

Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: J. Henry Scheidt European Prize

1971

Independent study program, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

1971

Award, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Drake Press Prize

1972

Returned to Iran

1972

Taught Art at the Institute of Fine Arts in Tehran and at the National, and Farabi Universities of Iran for four years

1974

1975

Solo show, Zarvan Gallery, Tehran, Iran

1976

Art Fair, Basel International Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland

1976

Returned to the United States to do her MFA

1976

Group show, "Woman and Art", International Art Center, Tehran

1976

Group show, "Eighty Years of Modern Art in Iran", Iran- America Cultural Center, Tehran

1976

Public collection, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran

1976

Private collection, Tomas Tomassian Collection

1976

Solo show, Saman Gallery, Tehran, Iran

1977

Group show, Washington Art ’77 Show, Washington, D.C., USA

1977

Group show, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran

1978

Finished her M.F.A. degree at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, USA

1978

Solo show, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, USA

1979

Took up permanent residence in New York, USA

1980

Solo show, "Hostages: A Diary", Elise Meyer Gallery, New York

1980

Group show, Artspace, Middlesex, UK

1980

Group show, "Artists and Contemporary Issues", Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, Hartford, USA

1980

Group show, "Artists and Contemporary Issues", Artspace, Middlesex, USA

1980

Group show, "Rendering of the Modern Woman", Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, Hartford, USA

1980

Show, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran, Iran

1981

Group show, "Messages: Words and Images", Freeman Gallery, Albright College, Reading, USA

1981

1982

Solo show, "Black, Black Days", Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York

1982

Group show, Alternative Museum, New York

1982

Group show, "Visual Politics", Louis Abrons Arts for Living Center, New York

1982

Group show, "Beyond Aesthetics: Art of Necessity by Artists of Conscience", Just Above Midtown/Downtown Gallery, New York

1982

Set design, "There Might Have Been An Insane Heart”, Selected Poems in the Armenian Language by Sonia Balassanian, New York

1983

Group show, Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle, UK

1983

Group show, "Newcastle Salutes New York", Institute for Art and Urban Resources, P.S.1, Queens, USA

1983

Group show, "Seven Women/Image Impact", Ornaments as Sculpture: An Show of Small Works, Sculpture Center, New York

1983

Set design, "Portraits", New York

1984

Show, Pyramid Arts Center, Rochester, USA

1984

Show, "Introspective", Calligraffiti, Leila Taghinia-Milani Gallery, New York

1985

Group show, Merilyn Pink Gallery, Los Angeles

1985

Show, "The American Experience: Contemporary Immigrant Artists", Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, USA

1985

Show, The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Philadelphia, USA

1985

Show, Lake view Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, USA

1985

Show, Sponsored by Statue of Liberty Committee, Organized by the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies and Independent Curators Incorporated

1986

Public & private collection, Pippo and Carla Traversi Collection

1986

Show, "Transculture/Transmedia", Exit Art, New York

1987

Public collection, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia

1988

Group show, "Committed to Print", The Museum of Modern Art, New York

1989

Set design, "Eyeless Tears in a Universe of Ether", Directed by Linda Rappaport, Dia Art Foundation, New York

1989

Show, "On the Cutting Edge: 10 Curators Choose 30 Artists", Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, NY

1989

Solo show, "Brooding", Exit Art, New York

1990

Group show, "Memory/Reality", Presented by NYFAI, Ceres Gallery, New York

1991

Group show, "Burning in Hell", A collection of artists' book projects invited by Nancy Spero, Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York

1991

Set design, "The True Story of a Woman Born in Iran and Raised to Heaven in Manhattan", Written and directed by Assurbanipal Babilla, New York

1991

Set design, "To Present Dreams of Emotions To the Noisy Rain", Selected poems in the Armenian Language by Sonia Balassanian, New York

1992

Set design, "Law of Remains", A performance created and designed by Reza Abdo and presented by Dar A Luz, New York

1992

Annual group shows of painting, Sculpture and installation by Armenian and international avant-garde artists, Curated and participated in by Sonia Balassanian, in Yerevan, Armenia

1992

Solo show, "The Other Side", The Sculpture Center, New York

1993

Solo show, "Shadows of my Sisters", Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, USA

1993

Group show, "Readymade Identities", Works of 6 artists at the Project Room, The Museum of Modern Art, New York

1993

Show, "Readymade Identities", The Museum of Modern Art, New York

1995

Group show, "Armenia: The Rediscovery of a Land of Ancient Culture", An Show of Armenian Art from Prehistoric Times to Present

1995

Show, CARGO International Center of Visual Arts, Marseille, France

1995

Show, Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy

1995

Show, International Biennale of Group Art, Bochum Museum, Bochum, Germany

1997

Participated in the 47th Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy

1997

Venice biennale, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy

1998

Show, "Remembering Times Past", Apex Art Gallery, New York

1998

Rain

1999

Show, Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy

1999

Group show, "On the Cutting Edge: 10 Curators Choose 30 Artists", Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, USA

1999

Group show, "Nabelschau", Artotel, Dresden, Germany

2000

Group show, "Continental Shift", Stadsgalerij Heerlen, The Netherlands

2000

Group show, Ludwig Forum for International Art, Achen, Germany

2000

Show, "The End: An Independent Vision of Contemporary Culture", Curated by David Galloway, Exit Art, New York

2000

Group show, "Collapse of Illusion", A multimedia performance event at public park, Including 4 new video pieces by Sonia Balassanian, ACCEA, Yerevan, Armenia

2000

Public collection, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art

2001

Group show, "4 Artists of the Armenian Diaspora", Museum de Lakenhal, The Netherlands

2001

Private collection, Prof. Edward M. Bergman Collection

2002

Group show, Art Biennale of Venice, The Armenian Pavilion, Venice, Italy

2002

Show, "Brooding...", A multimedia performance event organized on the occasion of 10th anniversary of founding of ACCEA, Yerevan

2002

Group show, "Shadows of Dust", A multimedia performance event, Yerevan

2004

Solo show, "Drawings by Sonia Balassanian", Armenian Center for Contemporary Art, Yerevan

2005

Group show, "Photo+", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan

2005

Group show, "Woman Dialogue", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan

2006

Group show, "Face a Face-Armenie", Photography of Armenian photographers, Curated by Edward Balassanian

2006

Group show, "The Contemporary Persian Scene: The American and European Experience", Leila Taghinia-Milani & Heller Gallery, New York

2006

Group show, "Don’t be Scared: Political Art by Armenian Artists", Curated by David Kareyan, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan

2006

Group show, "Art Without Borders", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan

2006

Group show, "Social Games", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan

2006

Published Work, "Two Books", Republication of two books of poems by Sonia Balassanian (1982-1991) in one combined volume, Yerevan

2006

Published work, "Portraits", Second Edition, Yerevan

2007

Video works include a split-screen installation made for the Armenian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

2007

Group show, "Yerevan Crisis", Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Yerevan

2008

Group show, "The Gates of Mediterranean", Curated by Martina Corgnati, Palazzo Piozzo - Casa del Conte Verde, Rivoli, Italy

2010

2013

Show, "Armenian Contemporary Art", National Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia

2014

Group show, "UPDATE/POST MEMORY", International Video Art with Eastern Perspective, Curated by Susanne Altmann, Motorenhalle, Dresden

2014

Group show, "Neighbors: Contemporary Narratives from Turkey and Beyond", Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey

2014

2015

Participated in the 14th Istanbul Biennial, Turkey

2018

Solo show, "Changing Geographical Coordinates", Homa Gallery, Tehran

2019

Group show, "Collectionner", Artibition Gallery, Tehran

2019

Group show, "Out of the Shadows", ACCEA, Yarevan

2020

Art fair, Teer Art, Represented by Dastans Basement Gallery, Tehran

2021

Group show, "Cacophony", Cromwell Place, London

2021

Art fair, Asia Now, Represented by Ab Anbar Gallery, Paris

2021

Group show, "Turning Point 3: Part One", Liam Gallery, Tehran

2021

Group show, "Turning Point 4", Liam Gallery, Tehran

2021

Group show, "The Collection of Liam Gallery", Liam Gallery, Tehran

2022

Group show, "A Selection of Modern Works from The Laal Collection", O Gallery, Tehran

2022

Hessam Samavatian and Sonia Balassanian"Merging Horizons ", Ab Anbar Gallery, London

2022

Solo show, "Five Decades in the Making", Ab Anbar Gallery, London

2023

Group show, "In the Heart of Another Country: The Diasporic Imagination Rises", Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah

2023

Group show, "Uucharted Echoes", Ab Anbar Gallery, London

2024

Group show, "A Collection", Plus 2, Tehran

2026

Group show, "Drawing Week Vol.6, Homage to Ahmad Amin Nazar", Homa Art Gallery, Tehran