Sanaz Mazinani

BIOGRAPHY:

Sanaz Mazinani (born 1978) is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily with photographs. Born in Tehran, Iran, she currently lives and works in California, while pursuing her Masters in Fine Art at Stanford University. Mazinani's art focuses on the photographic medium and its innate problems in re-presenting reality. She is interested in creating work that critically engages with personal mythologies on a symbolic level. Practicing conceptual and documentary strategies to examine the context in which meaning is negotiated, she focuses on making work that circumscribe the conceptual and formal boundaries of photography.

Mazinani has been involved in numerous exhibitions, publications, and curatorial projects since the completion of her undergraduate degree at the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2003. The recipient of Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council grants, her work can be found in many private & public collections.

EDUCATION:

• 2011 Stanford University, USA: Master of Fine Arts in Art Practice candidate
• 2003 Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Ontario: AOCAD

EXHIBITIONS:

• 2009 DIASPORArt, Canada Council Art Bank, Rideau Hall, Ottawa
• Fly with the Cage, The Queen Gallery, Toronto
• Iran Revisited, Toronto Image Works Gallery
• Fly with the Cage, Lennox Gallery, Toronto
• Here and Now, Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Rental and Sales Gallery, Toronto
• Timerazer, The Distillery District, Mill Street, Toronto
• Here or There, List Gallery, Toronto
• 2008 Framework, The Distillery District, Mill Street
• Contact Photography Festival Survey, espace, New York
• Review, Contact Photography Festival, Red Bull, Toronto
• 2007 AIPAD Photography Show, The Armory, New York, NY
• AIPAD Miami Art Fair, Wynwood Art District, Miami
• A Show of Faith, 69 Olive, Toronto
• Art Toronto, Toronto International Art Fair, Metro Toronto Convention Center
• Nuit Blanche, 401 Richmond Building, Toronto
• 2006 PhotoMiami: International Contemporary Art Fair, SOHO Building, Miami
• Book Case,The Carnegie Gallery, Hamilton
• Book Case, Camera, Toronto
• Book Case, project room, Stephen Bulger Gallery
• AIPAD: The Photography Show, The Armory, New York City
• 2005 Bibliotheca, Stephen Bulger Gallery
• Art with Heart, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto
• 2004 Car Stories, infringement Festival, Montreal
• Square Foot, AWOL Gallery
• Framework Foundation, CBC building, Toronto
• 2003 Alternative Means, University College, University of Toronto
• Surface in Depth, Tolmie Gallery
• Kyü, Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art
• OCAD Graduate Show, OCAD
• Women's Collective Show, Transit Space, OCAD
• 2002 The Destro(yers), Art System, Toronto
• Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square
• Sell or Die, Art System, Toronto
• Reviewing Quebec, blah, blah, blah Collective, Innis College, Toronto

GRANTS & AWARDS:

• 2009 Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
• 2008 Ontario Arts Council
• 2006 Toronto Arts Council
• 2006 Magenta Foundation, Emerging Photographers, Honourable Mention
• 2005 Ontario Arts Council: Exhibition Assistance Grant
• 2003 Toronto Image Works, Award

DISTINCTIONS:

• 2009 Curatorial Committee, Exposed: Double Exposure, Palais Royale
• Co-Chair, Urban Development & Street-scape Committee, Art & Design District, Toronto
• Jury Member, Hart House Camera Club, University of Toronto
• 2008 Editor, The Death of Photography, Bulger Gallery Press, Toronto
• Chair, Urban Development Committee, Art & Design District, Toronto
• Jury Member, Art Crawl Exhibition
• 2007 Planning Committee, Double Exposure Photography Auction
• Board of Directors, Art & Design District, West Queen West BIA
• Educational Committee, Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography
• 2006 Co-Programmer (Film & Video), CAMERA Jury Member, Young Artists Showcase, Artscape
• Jury Member, University of Guelph, Photography Awards & Scholarships
• Educational Programmer, CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival
• 2005 Board Member, Queen West Gallery District Programming Coordinator, CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival
• Photo Editor, Bite Magazine

CURATION & PROJECT ORGANIZATION:

• 2009 Curator, Off World, Mateo Guez, site-specific installation: Camera
• 2008 Curator, 2008 Graduate Show, Ryerson University
• 2007 Catalogue Editor and Auction Coordinator, Double Exposure, Eglinton Grand
• 2006 Catalogue Editor, Double Exposure, Eglinton Grand
• 2005 Curator, Queen West Gallery District Funds raiser, Rhino
• 2003 Curator and Catalogue Editor, Kyü, Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art
• Curator, Surface in Depth, Tolmie Gallery
• Coordinator, Beyond OCAD Professional Development & Mentoring Program
• 2002 Creative Activity, OCAD Atrium Gallery
• Curator, OCADaudio, live performances & web broadcast, Lee's Palace & Cameron House
• 2000 Programmer, Shoot This, Art System, Toronto

PUBLICATIONS:

• 2009 National Post, Process of development, Leah Sandals, Arts, April 30, 2009
• Now Magazine, Mazinani Amazes, Fran Schechter, May 6-13, 2009 Vol 28 No 36
• Contact Toronto Photography Festival catalogue, Bonnie Rubenstein, Iran Revisited, May 2009, Page 5
• 2008 Border Crossings, Robert Enright, Uncovering the Many Faces of Iran, Volume 27 No. 4, Issue No. 108
• Nueva Luz photographic journal, Darius Himes, Here Am I Reflections on Race and the Golden Rule, Volume 13, no.2
• Femme Art Project: Toronto, Luminato, June, 2008
• 2006 Magenta, Flash Forward 2006: Emerging Photographers from Canada, The United Kingdom and The United States
• 2005 The Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault, A Case for Books and Gigantic Ideas, Page R15
• Say WEN, Marilyn Fraser, Volume1, Issue 3
• photographie.com, Stephen Bulger, Bibliotheca

RERESENTATION:

• Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto, Canada