Sepideh Tajalizadeh Dashti

Emerging Visual Artist (Memphis, TN)

Educational Psychology Research PhD student, adjunct faculty at the Department of Arts and Design, Adjunct faculty at Women’s Studies, University of Memphis.

Email: Sepideh.t@memphis.edu |

https://sepidehdashti.com/

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Educational psychology and research,  University of Memphis, Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Research, Expected Graduation: 2028
Advisor: Dr. Susan Nordstrom

Master of Fine Arts, Western University, Department of Visual Arts  
Graduation, Canada,2020

  • Thesis Title: “To Be Me: The Contingency of the Body”

Bachelor of Fine Arts Studio Practice-Intensive Studio Specialization,

Digital Arts Communication Minor, University of Waterloo, Department of Fine Arts, Canada,2018

  • Honors: Graduate with Dean’s honors

Bachelor of Science, Mechanics of Farm Machinery Engineering, University of Shahid Bahonar Kerman, Iran, 2004

AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND GRANTS

  • Coop Gallery, Ten in Tenn awards, Nashville, 1000$, 2025

  • Artist Residency Fellowship, McColl Center, Charlotte, NC, 7,000$, 2024

  • Tri-Star Fund, Current Art Fund in Knoxville, 7,500$, 2023

  • Travel Fund, Educational Psychology & Research Dep. University of Memphis, 500$, 2024

·       Summer Institute for Anti-Racist and Decolonizing Research, Fellowship, George Mason University, 2023.

  • Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGSM) in social sciences and humanities research (SSHRC), Western University, 15,000 $, 2020

  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, OGS, Western University, 12,500 $, 2020

  •  Western Graduate Research Scholarship, Western University, 2,000$, 2019.

  • Western Graduate Research Scholarship, Western University, 2,000$, 2019.

  • Arts & Humanity Dean’s Entrance Scholarship, Western University,1500$ 2018.

  • Arts & Humanity Chair’s Entrance Scholarship, Western University, 1000$, 2018.

  • Curator’s Choice Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, 200 $, 2018.

  • Liz Edwards Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo,200 $, 2018.

  • Digital Imaging Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, 2018.

  • Geoffery F.Bulter Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo,500 $, 2017.

  • Lynn Holmes Memorial Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo,500$, 2017.

  •  Video Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, 2017.

  • Photography Award, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo2016.

Professional Artistic Practices

Solo Exhibitions

·       Ten-In-Tennessee, Coop Gallery, Knoxville, 2025, (Upcoming)

·       In Between, The Little House Gallery, Memphis, 2024

·       Liminality, Beverly and Sam Ross Gallery, Christian Brothers University, Memphis, 2022

·       From “She-Self” to “She-Other”, Stratford Gallery, Canada, 2022

·       Counterpoint, Ruffin Gallery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2022

·       To Be Me, Artlab Gallery, Western University, Canada, 2020

 Group Exhibitions

·       Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (PAMA)│ Canada, 2025, (Upcoming)

·       Time Slip Time Sip, The Southeastern Louisiana University, Contemporary Art Gallery, (Upcoming, January 25th).

·        Artist-In Residence Showcase, McColl Center, Charlotte, North

Carolina, 2024.

·       Creative Art Department, Kroc Center, Memphis, 2023.

·       Doubl-Edged, Xpace Cultural Center, Canada, 2022  

·       The Once Unknown: Online Juried Photography Exhibition. Button Factory Arts, Canada, 2020

·       Photophobia Contemporary Moving Image Festival, Hamilton Artists Inc. AGH

Film Festival, Canada, 2020

·       10th show of Modern Panic X, Guerrilla Zoo Exhibition, London, UK, 2019

·       Art as Advocacy: Promoting Equity and Social Justice for Women, Springfield,

Illinois, 2019

·       42nd Annual AHVA Graduate Symposium- Violentia: Violence and Representation, The University of British Columbia, Canada, 2019

·       Selsun Blue: MFA Exhibition, Artlab Gallery, Western University,Canada, 2019

·       2019’s Video Fever Program, Trinity Square Video, Canada, 2019

·       Environment, Artery, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017

·       Exploration, Artery, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017

·       Body, Artery, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017

·       Unsettled, Public performance, Landmarks 2017 Project, Guild Park,

Scarborough, Canada, 2017

·       Brush with Art, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017

·       Chiliad, Artery, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2016

·       Tech-aesthetic, Critical Media Lab, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, 2016

 

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  • Sepideh Dashti, No-East, No-West, TBA Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 100-106, 2021.

·       Sepideh Tajalizadeh Dashti, The Contingent Body, Contemporaneity Historical Presence in Visual Culture, Vol. 9, no.1, pp. 44-51,2021.

Conference Proceedings and Presentations

·      Upcoming, Group conference paper presentation, When Nothing Feels Right: Mourning Long Held Research Beliefs through Feminist Body Mapping, Pedagogies for Animating Critical Qualitative Inquiry, Arizona State University, April 2025

·       Sepideh Dashti, Zaban-Hagh is Bitter &Heavy, Claiming our Human Rights Through Art- Based Research. 7th Interdisciplinary Symposium on Qualitative Methodologies: Qualitative Inquiry Across Discipline, University of South Florida, 2024.

·       Virtual NeMLA Convention, Speculative Figures and Futures: Our Uncanny

Postapocalypse (Part 2: Critical Self/-ves), University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 2021

·       UAAC-AAUC, The Universities Art Association of Canada, "Hidden Within

Moments and Places, Memories as Trauma, Silence, and Trust: #MeToo".Canada, 2020

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

Instructor of Record, Introduction to women and gender studies, Women Studies, University of Memphis, Spring 2025

·      Lecture Theory around gender and feminism, Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Sculpture V, Art & Design Department, University of Memphis, Fall 2024

·      Combination of lecture and studio practice. I work with senior-level students in sculpture, teaching a variety of methods and materials for making contemporary sculpture and teaching contemporary art history, philosophy, and theories. Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Sculpture IV, Art & Design Department, University of Memphis, Fall 2024

·      Combination of lecture and studio practice. I work with advanced-level students, teaching a variety of methods and materials for making contemporary sculpture teaching contemporary art history, philosophy, and theories. Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Sculpture III, Art & Design Department, University of Memphis, Fall 2024

  • Combination of lecture and studio practice. I work with advanced-level students, teaching a variety of methods and materials for making contemporary sculpture and teaching contemporary art history, philosophy, and theories. Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Sculpture I, Art & Design Department,  University of Memphis, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2025.

  • Combination of lecture and studio practice. Teaching contemporary art history, theory, and practice for creating sculptures using plaster, wood, and metal. Students learn to work with tools and methods to fabricate sculptures. Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Foundation II, Art & Design Department,  University of Memphis, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

  • Combination of lecture and studio practice. Introducing contemporary methods and techniques to shift their artwork from the 2D dimension of painting and drawing to the 3D method of artmaking. Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Sculpture II, Art & Design Department,  University of Memphis, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

  • Combination of lecture and studio practice. Introducing contemporary methods and advanced techniques and materials for art making, including performance body art, video art, casting body, silicon mold making and casting, and kinetic sculpture using DC motors. Undergraduate level

Instructor of Record, Introduction to Photography, Kroc Center, Salvation Army community center in Memphis, 2021-2024

  • Teaching introductory photography courses to senior adults and youth. 

Instructor of Record, Introduction to Painting, Kroc Center, Salvation Army community center in Memphis, 2021-2024

  • Teaching introductory Painting courses to senior adults and youth. 

Instructor of Record, Introduction to Drawing, Kroc Center, Salvation Army community center in Memphis, 2021-2024

  • Teaching introductory photography courses to senior adults and Youth. 

Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Drawing, Western University, 2020

  • Lecturing, running studio practices, and Grading and

Teaching Assistant, Foundation of Visual Arts, Western University, 2018-2019

  • Lecturing, running studio practices, and Grading and

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Reviewer

·       tba Journal of Art, Media, and Visual Culture, Visual Arts Department at Western

University, Canada, 2022

 Artist Residency & Exhibition Jury/Panelist

·       Art Juror, 2025 Scholastic Art Awards, Brooks Museum, Memphis

·       Crosstown Art Residency, Memphis, 2022

Guest Artist

·       Visiting senior undergraduate students’ studio, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2022

·       Visiting Studio Art Senior Seminar, Department of Art and Art History, Rhodes College, 2022

Member

·       Treasure position in the Visual Arts Graduate Student Association (VAGSA),

Western University, Canada, 2018-2019

·       Co-Curator at the Artery, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017- 2018

·       Fine Art Painting Studio Monitor, Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Artist Residency

·       McColl Center Summer 2024 Parent and Educator Artist-in-

Residence, Charlotte, NC, 2024

·       Post Human Art Residency, Post Human Art Network. Online Residency, 2022 – 2023

·       Crosstown Art Residency, Memphis, TN, 2021

·       Virtual Residency on Care /Creativity, OCAD University, Canada, 2020

Artist talk

·       Time Slip Time Sip, The Southeastern Louisiana University, Contemporary Art Gallery, (Upcoming, January 25th  , 2025).

·       McColl Center, Charlotte, NC, 2024

·       Liminality, Beverly and Sam Ross Gallery, Christian Brothers University, Memphis,

·       TN, 2022

·       "Double-Edged" Artist Talk: Ramolen Laruan & Sepideh Dashti in conversation

·       with Bianca Weeko Martin, XpaceCulturalCentre, Canada,2022

·       Counterpoint, Ruffin Gallery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2022

·       Crosstown Art Residency, Memphis, 2021

·       (Guest Artist) Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2021

·        Photophobia Contemporary Moving Image Festival, Hamilton Artists Inc. AGH, Film Festival, Canada,2020

Certification

·      CPR/AED certificate. Salvation Army, Kroc Memphis,2022

·       Gender 101: Feminism. Gender And Sexuality, The Institute for Social Science

and Humanities, Iran Academia, Online, 2021

·       Teaching Assistant Training Program, Western University, Canada, 2020

 

Workshop & Internship

·       Metal Museum, two days Blacksmith class, 2023.

·       McIntosh Gallery, Western University, Canada, 2019.

·       Five Days Performance Workshop, Bojana Videkanik, Landmarks 2017 Project, Canada, 2017

·       Art & Activism, one-day workshop, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2017

 

Media

·       Tiger Strikes Asteroid GVL, artist-run space, SC, 2024

·       Number:Inc.In Between and New Work-2024-The little house gallery, 2024

·       McColl Center , Artist interview, 2024

·       Canvas Rebel, Memphis, TN,2023

·       Kroc Center, Memphis, 2023

·       Liminality, Christians Brother University, Memphis, TN. 2022

·       Doubl-Edged, Xpace Cultural Center, Canada, 2022

·       “From “She-Self” to “She-Other””, Stratford Gallery, Canada, 2022

·       “Counterpoint” Ruffin Gallery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2022

·        Beverly and Sam Ross Gallery, Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN, 2022

·       Memphis Flyer, 2022

·        “ Q&A Crosstown Arts newsletter” Memphis, TN, 2021

·       Crosstown Arts Residency, Memphis, TN, 2021

·       Talkin’ Memphis,WYXR, Radio Station, Memphis, TN, 2021

·       2018 “Yours Truly,” The University of Waterloo Graduating Class Exhibition Catalogue,

Fine Arts Department, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2018

SKILLS

Research Interest

·      Qualitative art-based research, post-qualitative research, intersectional feminism, post-human feminism, cultural identity, gender identity, trauma and war, diaspora studies, multiculturalism, art and activism, interdisciplinary art practices including installation art, body art, performance art, kinetic sculpture, and video art

Technical Artistic Skills

  • Working with wood-shop facilities for fabricating wooden sculpture include variety of saws, drills, sanding and grinding tools

  • Working with metal shop-tools for fabricating metal sculptures includes bending tools, cutting tools, grinders, MIG welder, and oxyacetylene torch.

  • Familiar with mold making and casting objects

  • Familiar with various Adobe creative software including Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Audition, and After Effects.

  • Familiar with working with electronic Arduino sensors and a variety of DC motors, electronic circus

  • Videography (production and editing)

  • Archiving and documenting artwork for museums.

  • Photography with both analog and digital cameras

  • Familiar with photography dark room

  • Contemporary methods of making art include video art, photography, textile art, body art, sculpture, installation, 3D printing, Laser cutting, and AR video. 

  • Drawing

  • Painting (acrylic and oil painting)

Language Skills

  • English, fluent

  • Farsi, fluent

  • Arabic, introductory level

  • French, introductory level

Other Skills

  • I run art workshops for a variety of ages, from children to adults

  • Artist talk

  • Curating exhibition

  • Archiving and documenting artwork

  • Solo and group exhibitions

  • Children’s Camp counseling

·       Theatrical Staging

Volunteer jobs

·       Design website for local business, Perfect Eyebrows and Spa, Memphis,2022

·       Curating “Micro-Aesthetic" exhibition, Art Museum of the University of Memphis,

Memphis, TN, 2021

·       Guide Tour, Paadmaan Projects Farsi Art Gallery Tours, Art Gallery of Ontario,

, Canada, 2019

·       Guide Tour, Paadmaan Projects Farsi Art Gallery Tours, Art Gallery of Hamilton,

, Canada, 2019

·       General Position, Student Organization Fine Arts, The University of

Waterloo, Canada, 2017-2018

·       Volunteer for Brush with Art Exhibition. University of Waterloo, Canada, 2018