Biography & vision


Siba Sahabi (b. 1979) is a German-Iranian artist. She creates installations, sculptures, objects and films.
Through her work she explores and reconstructs the meaning of cultural identity. Siba is interested in how relationships around us determine who we are as individuals in our community, and how this ‘mould’ of our cultural identity changes when we are exposed to multiple cultures at the same time.

Siba translates her research on cultural identity into contemporary design through an interpretation of forms and concepts. She creates a wide range of centrepieces—from limited design edition to large-scale art installations. Parallel to her artistic practice, she develops concepts and designs products for various labels such as Pols Potten and Rosenthal.

Siba works with media such as film and photography to illuminate the context of her designed objects and to visualise her research through narrative. These processes of creating context and narration around her work extend to her international and cross-disciplinary collaborations, which form an important source of inspiration for her. In recent years she has worked together with choreographer Iván Pérez, graphic designer Thijs Verbeek, dancer Sara Toscano, film director Chris Rijksen, photographer Arjan Benning and composer Rutger Zuydervelt/ Machinefabriek. 


Her award-winning work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries such as Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan and Saatchi Gallery in London.






Process & Practice


Filmmaker Chris Rijksen captured Siba's project Obscura in a six-minute documentary.





Lectures & Design Panels


Theater Rotterdam, Bring it on! Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, (NL), 2019
X-Bank gallery, Amsterdam (NL), 2017
Contemporary Image Collective, Cairo (EG), 2017
Roehrs & Boetsch Gallery, Zürich (CH), 2016
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Design for Manufacturing, Amsterdam (NL), 2015
Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder, Qaina, Amsterdam (NL), 2014
OCT Art & Design Gallery, Shenzhen (CN), 2012
Talente, IHM, Munich (DE), 2007




Awards & Grants



Grant by Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, Rotterdam, 2018
Grant by Stichting Gerbrandy, Amsterdam, 2018
Grant by Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, Rotterdam, 2018
Grant by Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, Rotterdam, 2017
Grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Amsterdam, 2017
Grant by Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, Rotterdam, 2016
Grant by Stichting Stokroos, Utrecht, 2015
Grant by Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, Rotterdam, 2015
Short-listed by Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe for the Justus Brinckmann Förderpreis, Hamburg, 2014
Grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Amsterdam, 2014
Grant by Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Amsterdam, 2012
Honorable mention by Green Dot Awards, Los Angeles, 2011
Grant by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Amsterdam, 2011
First prize Most Remarkable Repair Award by Platform 21, Amsterdam, 2009
Grant by Berlage Fund, Amsterdam, 2006
Grant by IKEA Stiftung, Hofheim-Wallau, 2006
First prize Comeseedo Competition, Berlin, 2005
Grant by Leonardo da Vinci, Hamburg, 2005


Work in collections


Grassi Museum, Leipzig, DE
Architonic Design Collection, Zürich, CH
GVB Art Collection, Amsterdam, NL


Solo Exhibitions


2016
artgenève, Roehrs & Boetsch Gallery, Genève, CH
Roehrs & Boetsch Gallery, Zürich, CH

2015
Transformationen, Rosenthal, MCBW, Munich, DE


Duo Exhibitions


2019
Siba Sahabi / Mark Sturkenboom, Salone del Mobile, Milan, IT

2017
Ellen van der Wiel / Siba Sahabi, Galerie Kiek-Kus, Deventer, NL

2015
Art Lounge, Siba Sahabi / Sebastian Herkner, Rosenthal, Selb, DE

2014
Myungsu Seo / Siba Sahabi, SBK KNSM, Amsterdam, NL
Kim Streur / Siba Sahabi, SBK Amsterdam Zuid, NL

2011
Siba Sahabi / Nel Linssen, Galerie Plaatsmaken, Arnhem, NL




Group Exhibitions


2019
Museum Direktorenhaus, Berlin, DE
Fashion Clash Festival, Maastricht, NL

2018
Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, NL
INDEX Design, Ventura, Dubai, AE
YurtCollection, The Haag, NL
Homo Faber, Fondazione Cini, Venice, IT
X-Bank, Amsterdam, NL

2017
Abwab, Dubai Design Week, AE
NL Curated, Indesign, Consulate General of the Netherlands,
Sydney, AU
Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, NL
Rossana Orlandi, Salone del Mobile, Milan, IT
Art and Design, Gallery Letternoon, The Hamptons, US
AMC kunstcollectie, Amsterdam, NL
Designkwartier, YurtCollection, The Haag, NL
artgenève, Roehrs & Boetsch Gallery, Genève, CH
X-Bank, Amsterdam, NL

2016
Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, NL
Wanted Design, Ventura Projects, New York, US
DESIGN.VE, Palazzo Loredan, Venice, IT
Rossana Orlandi, Salone del Mobile, Milan, IT
Plusdesign Gallery, Salone del Mobile, Milan, IT
Gallery Octagone, Paris, FR
X-Bank, Amsterdam, NL

2015
Grassi Messe, Grassi Museum, Craft2eu, Leipzig, DE
Art and Design, Gallery Letternoon, The Hamptons, US
Fine Art Cologne, Galerie Lieblingsstuhl, Cologne, DE
Art Dubai, Gallery Art Factum, Dubai, AE
Gallery OODE, Amsterdam, NL
SALON/Paris, D'Days, Paris, FR
Gallery Letternoon, New York, FR
Ambiente, Rosenthal, Frankfurt, DE
Dutch Design Week, Kazerne, Eindhoven, NL
Rosenthal, IMM, Cologne, DE

2014
SALON/BA, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, AR
Justus Brinckmann Förderpreis, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, DE
Shape, Pattern and Form: Tracing the East, Art Factum Gallery, Beirut, LB
SALON/Big Bang, Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, NL
Sherazade, Passagen, Cologne, DE
Geïnspireerd door de Oudheid, Gallery Archea, Amsterdam, NL
Pols Potten, Maison & Objet, Paris, FR
Potpourri 002, Art Factum Gallery, Beirut, LB
Papier Volume, Gallery Octagone, Paris, FR
Dutch Design Week, Dutch Design Year, Eindhoven, NL
Kraft Work, The Aram Gallery, London, GB
SALON/dantel, Istanbul Design Biennial, Istanbul, TR

2013
SALON/BJ, Dashilar Hutong, Beijing, CN
Winter/SALON 2013, Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder, Amsterdam, NL
SALON/Kant, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam, NL
Front Salon, Dutch Design Year, Amsterdam, NL
Salone del Mobile, Tuttobene, Milan, IT
FlowerCastle, Kasteel Keukenhof, Lisse, NL
Loods 6, SBK KNSM, Amsterdam, NL
Le temps d'avance, Gallery Bensimon, Paris, FR
Inside Design, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, NL
Dutch Design Year, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, NL

2012
Collect, Saatchi Gallery, London, GB
Basic Instincts, curated by Premsela, Dutch Design Council, OCT Art & Design Gallery, Shenzhen, CN
A Spatial Surprise, Mint, London, GB
Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, NL
Mirrors and Candles, Galerie Sofie Lachaert, Tielrode, BE
B29 Studio's, Edwin Pelser, Den Haag, NL
Basic Instincts, curated by Premsela in collaboration with the Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem, Eusebiuskerk, Arnhem, NL

2011
IAPMA, Odenwaldwald Museum, Michelstadt, DE
Paperworks, The Civic Gallery, Barnsley, GB
The Opium Den, Direktorenhaus, Berlin, DE
Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, NL
Galerie Sofie Lachaert, Tielrode, BE
E2bP, Salone del Mobile, Mailand, IT
Pure Village, Internationale Möbelmesse, Cologne, DE
Internationale Handwerksmesse, Galerie Ra, Munich, DE
Paperporcelain, HYM at Magna Plaza, Amsterdam, NL
Basic Instincts, curated by Premsela, Dutch Design Council, Villa Elisabeth, Berlin, DE

2010
De smaak van thee, Design Museum, Gent, BE
Paperworks, Bilston Gallery, in Wolverhampton, GB
Paperficial, Galerie Craft2eu, Hamburg, DE
Amateras, Art Alley Gallery, in Sofia, BG
Open Ateliers Westerlijke Eilanden, Amsterdam, NL
Asia Now, Dwell on Design, curated by Designboom, in Los Angeles, US
European Prize for Applied Arts 2009 at EUNIQUE 2010, WCC Europe, Karlsruhe, DE
World Art Paper, ArtByGenève, Geneva, CH
Paperroad, IAPMA Congress, Wonju, KR
Inside Design, Amsterdam Design Days, Lloyd Hotel Amsterdam, NL
Schwarz, Handwerksform, Hannover, DE
Textiel Festival, Pieterskerk, Leiden, NL
Pensato A Mano, Spotti, Mailand, IT

2009
Pioneers of Change, Governor's Island, New York, US
Repairing, Platvorm 21, Amsterdam, NL
European Prize for Applied Arts, WCC Europe, Mons, BE
Inside Design, Amsterdam Design Days, Amsterdam, NL

2008
Het Balkon, Zuidekerk, Amsterdam, NL
Inside Design, Amsterdam Design Days, Amsterdam, NL

2007
Talente, Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, DE



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