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Faculty Member

Mrs. Shirin Abedinirad

Biography

Shirin Abedinirad is an Iranian artist and Assistant Professor of Sculpture at Utah Valley University. Her work explores identity, unity with nature, and the boundless essence of being through video, performance, land art, and installation. Rooted in minimalist use of elemental materials such as mirrors, water, and light, her practice creates reflective spaces that examine belonging, perception, and the human relationship to the natural world.

Born in Tabriz, Iran, Abedinirad began her artistic path in painting before earning degrees in graphic design and fashion. Her practice shifted toward performance and site-specific installation following a formative desert experience in 2013. Since 2010, her work has been exhibited internationally across Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and North America. She holds an MFA from Michigan State University and is the author of the Persian-language book Fashion and Conceptual Art in the 21st Century.

Education

MFA, Michigan State University, 2024

Major: Studio Art

BA, Shariaty Technical College, , 2014

Major: Fashion and Textile Design

AA/AS, Ardabil Vocational College for Girls, 2005

Major: Graphic Design

Teaching

ART 1130

3D Design, Spring 2026

ART 1130

3D Design, Spring 2026

ART 1130

3D Design, Spring 2026

ART 4990R

BFA Project, Spring 2026

ART 3000R

Special Topics in Art, Spring 2026

Presentations

Abedinirad, Shirin (Presenter Only), BYU Department of Art Visiting Speaker Seminar Series, "Artist Talk_ Background and Artwork (plus Individual Studio Visits)", Brigham Young University, Department of Art, Provo, UT. (February 12, 2026)
Abedinirad, Shirin (Presenter Only), Career Pathways in Art and Design, Graduate Course, "Artist Talk_ Creative Process, Career Development, and Installation Projects", East Carolina University, School of Art and Design, Virtual (Greenville, NC). (October 16, 2025)
Abedinirad, Shirin (Panelist), Ethics Awareness Week 2025 — AI and Its Human Impact, " AI and Creativity", UVU Center for the Study of Ethics, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, CB-511, UVU, Orem, UT. (September 30, 2025)
Abedinirad, Shirin , 3D Design Retreat, "My Reflective Journey", Utah Valley University, Capitol Reef Field Station. (December 14, 2024)

Scholarly/Creative Works

Abedinirad, Shirin , (2025) "The Art Escapes Atlas_ Cultural Experiences Around the Globe Book" (Issue: 1st, vol. 1st). Berlin: Gestalten. https://gestalten.com/products/the-art-escapes-atlas
Mokhtari Dehkordi , Razieh , Asadi Farsani , Majid , Abedinirad, Shirin , (2025) "Analysis of Shirin Abedinirad's Installations in the Discourse of Space_ From Environment to Context" (Issue: 144, vol. 22). Tehran: NAZAR Research Center (Nrc). https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_219909.html?lang=en
Abedinirad, Shirin , (2025) "Collected Light Volume Two_ Women Light Artists Book" (vol. 2). London: Women in Lighting. https://womeninlighting.com/site/page/collected-light-vol-2-women-light-artists
Abedinirad, Shirin , (2025) "Mirror: Mirror – The Reflecting Surface in Contemporary Art Book" . London: Thames and Hudson. https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/mirrormirror-the-reflective-surface-in-contemporary-art-hardcover
Abedinirad, Shirin , (2024) "Contemporary Art in Reality versus Images, an Analysis of the Work of Shirin Abedinirad / Book" (vol. 1). Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-65104-5

Awards

ArtPrize Installation Public Award

ArtPrize - September 28, 2024

In fall 2024, my installation Reflective Journey #2 was awarded Public Awards_ Installation Category at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This site-specific work, installed at Lookout Park, was made possible through two competitive grants_ the Featured Public Projects Grant and the Frederik Meijer Gardens Sculpture Grant. The piece continued my exploration of mirrored forms and spatial perception, inviting the public into a meditative engagement with reflection, landscape, and presence. Receiving this public award affirmed the impact of my practice within the broader community and highlighted the relevance of immersive, environmentally responsive installations in contemporary public art.