SARA RAHBAR
Sara Rahbar, born in Tehran, Iran, in 1976, has lived and worked in New York since 1982. She pursued an interdisciplinary program in New York and also studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.
Leaving her birthplace amid the upheaval following the Iranian Revolution and the onset of the Iran-Iraq War, Rahbar’s work explores themes of nationalism, separation, and belonging, examining the complexities of pain, violence, and the human condition. At the core of Rahbar’s practice is assemblage, with her work encompassing collage, photography, and sculpture. The materials she collects spark a dialogue that directly engages with the objects and symbols in which we place our faith. Her compositions form a tangible, physical cacophony, reflecting the complex relationship between the individual and society.
Her acclaimed Flag Series (2005–2025) reworks fabric and objects into collages, forming various versions of the American and Iranian flags. This series deconstructs symbols of nationalism, exploring the complex interplay between belonging and violence. Rahbar’s work has gained international recognition and is in the permanent collections of prominent institutions, including the Centre Pompidou, the British Museum, the Davis Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art , and the Sharjah Art Foundation.
Rahbar has exhibited at renowned institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Art and Design, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Musée National d'Art Moderne, and the Saatchi Gallery. Her work has been featured in prestigious international triennials and biennials, such as the Changwon Sculpture Biennial, the Venice Biennale, the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, and the Sharjah Biennial.
In addition to her artistic practice, Rahbar has served as a teaching artist at the Queens Museum of Art, where she worked with Rikers Island correctional educators, and at the Women for Afghan Women center. She has also led courses at Dallas Contemporary, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Katonah Museum of Art. Between 2005 and 2010, Rahbar traveled frequently between the US and Iran, working as a production coordinator and film photographer for independent films and documentaries. Rahbar has been invited to speak at various esteemed institutions, including the British Museum, the Museum of Art and Design, Dallas Contemporary, the Brooklyn Museum, the Queens Museum of Art, El Museo del Barrio, and the School of Visual Arts.