About Shezad Dawood
Born in 1974 in London, Dawood is a multidisciplinary artist who interweaves stories, realities, and symbolism to create richly layered artworks, spanning digital media, film, painting, sculpture, and textiles. He trained at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art before undertaking a PhD at Leeds Metropolitan University. Fascinated by ecologies and architecture, Dawood takes a philosophical approach in his work, asking questions and exploring alternative futures through what he calls “world building” and “imagineering.” His practice is animated by research and by collaboration with multiple audiences and communities to delve into embodiment, history, and narrative.
Dawood is a research fellow in experimental media at the University of Westminster. His film works have been screened internationally, including at the Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Sharjah Biennial 14, where he was awarded the Special Mention Jury Prize in 2019. His feature film, Piercing Brightness (2013), was released theatrically and on Blu-ray and DVD by Soda Pictures. Selected group exhibitions and commissions include the Folkestone Triennial, Kent, UK (2021); the Guggenheim Museum, New York (2021); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2016); Paradise Row, London (2021); Qatar Museums, Doha (2022); Sea Art Festival, Busan (2021); Southbank Centre, London (2020–21); and the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022). His work is in the permanent collections of the Arts Council Collection, UK; the British Museum, London; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; the Rubin Museum of Art, New York; and Tate, London, among others. Dawood lives and works in London.
at home: Artists in Conversation
Join us for lively and inspiring conversations with some of today’s most notable artists. “at home: Artists in Conversation” brings together curators and artists to discuss various artistic practices and insights into their work.
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Shezad Dawood, photo by Sue Parkhill