Artist Bio

Vian Sora

1976 – Born in Baghdad, Iraq. Lives and works in USA
2006-2007 – Studied original printmaking in Istanbul Museum of Graphic Art IMOGA, Istanbul, Turkey
2000 – Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Al Mansour University, Baghdad, Iraq
2012 – Bellarmine University, Kentucky, USA

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2025 – Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
2025 – Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY
2025 – Asia Society, Houston, TX
2024 –”House of Pearls”, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
2024 – “Noosphere”, Independent Art Fair, David Nolan Gallery
2023 – “End of Hostilities”, David Nolan Gallery, New York, New York
2022 – “Subduction”, Luis de Jesus Los Angeles, LA, California
2022 – “What You Shout Into The Woods Echoes Back”, Moremen Gallery, Louisville, KY
2021 – “Floodgates”, Moremen Gallery, Louisville, KY
2019 – “Unbounded Domains”, Moremen Gallery, Louisville, KY
2017 – “Now Here”, Quappi Projects, Louisville, KY
2016 – “Displaced Narratives”, 1619 Flux, Louisville, KY
2015 – “Sacred Journeys‬”, Festival Of Faiths; Featured Artist, Actors Theater Gallery, Louisville, KY
2011 – “Escape Into Life”, US Chamber Of Commerce, Washington DC
2010 – “Between Two Worlds” The Green Building Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky
2008 – “Prophecy” Aspen Gallery & Dar el Cid Museum, Kuwait City, Kuwait
2007 – “Legends of Baghdad“, Showcase Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2007 – “Reflections: Istanbul to Baghdad”, IMOGA Art Gallery and Museum of Graphic Art, Istanbul, Turkey
2006 – “Voyage Into Arabia”, Aspen Gallery, Dar el Cid Museum, Kuwait City, Kuwait
2006 – “Vian Sora: A Woman in Time”, Iraq Museum International Exhibition, Boston, MA, Online Exhibition
2004 – “Longing to Past”, Gallery Zamwa – Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq
2003 – “Vian Sora: Selected Works”, Japanese Foundation Culture Center, Ankara, Turkey
2003 – “Neher, Sheher…Misafirat (River, City…Voyage)”, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
2002 – “Periphrasis, Baghdad” Grundfos office gallery, Baghdad, Iraq
2001 – “Pulses, Shapes and Sense of Time”, Inaa Art Gallery, Baghdad, Iraq

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024 – Art Basel Switzerland, David Nolan Gallery
2024 – Dallas Art Fair, David Nolan Gallery and Luis De Jesus Gallery
2023 – The Armory Show, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
2023 – “Rounding the Circle: The Mary and Alfred Shands Collection”, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky
2022 – “Crosscurrents: Contemporary Art from the Speed Art Museum Collection and Beyond”, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky
2022 – UNTITLED, Art Miami Beach, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
2022 – The Armory Show, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
2022 – Expo Chicago, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
2022 – “Breaking Water”, curated by Amara Antilla and Clelia Coussonnet, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH 
2021 – “New Directions: The Shands Collection”, curated by Julien Robson, Quappi Projects, Louisville, KY 
2020 – “We All Declare For LIBERTY”, curated by John Brooks, Quappi Projects, Louisville, Kentucky
2019 – “KMAC TRIENNIAL”, Curated by Joey Yates, KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY
2019 – “Imagined Monuments”, curated by Keith Waits, LOUISVILLE METRO HALL, Louisville, KY
2017 – “Project 19: The Prolonged Gaze”, Curated by Miranda Lash, Zephyr Gallery, Louisville, KY
2016 – “Navigate, curated by Jesse Levesque”, 1619 Flux Gallery, Louisville, KY
2016 – “Night and the Desert Know Me”, Joan Hisaoka Gallery, Washington DC, USA
2012 – “Under Cover”, Swanson Contemporary Art Gallery, Louisville, USA
2011 – “In the Course of Human Events 9/11-2011”, Louisville Visual Art Association, US
2010 – “Women Imagining Women”, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, KY
2009 – “Spring Show” Total Arts Gallery at the Courtyard, Dubai, UAE
2008 – “Selected works by four artists” Aspen Gallery, Kuwait City, Kuwait
2008 – “Istanbul” Graphic artist annual Exhibition, Istanbul Museum of Graphic Art (IMOGA), Istanbul, Turkey
2007 – “One Stroke”, Lahd Art Gallery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2006 – “East West Dialogues, Mysticism”, Tugra Gallery, London, UK
2005 – “Art from the Islamic world”, Aya Gallery, London, UK
2005 – “Women through War” Art Exhibition, Al Wasity Art Gallery (Ministry of Culture gallery), Baghdad, Iraq
2004 – “Autumn Exhibition” Gallery M, curator Merriam lequesne, Paris, France
2002 – Four Artist group show, Zamaan Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2002 – Baghdad Art, International Art Festival, Baghdad, Iraq
2001 – Sharjah Biennial, Sharjah, UAE

Special Projects

2018 – Collaboration with The Louisville Orchestra and conductor Teddy Abrams for new composition by Sebastian Chang entitled “Between Heaven & Earth” including video installation and based on Vian Sora’s art work, The Louisville Orchestra, Louisville, KY
2018 – Women Artists in the Age of Impressionism, audio recording project, The Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY

Selected Residencies, Grants and Nominations

2022, 2020, 2019 & 2018 – Joan Mitchell Foundation Nominee Painter and Sculpture Award
2021 – Art Residency studio program funded by Great Meadows Foundation, Berlin, Germany
2019 – Great Meadows Foundation Artist traveling grant recipient
2018 – Great Meadows Foundation Artist traveling grant recipient
2017 – Great Meadows Foundation Artist traveling grant recipient
2003 – Art Residency Program August, Bodrum, Turkey
2003 – Grundfos Selected Portfolio Artist, Istanbul, Turkey
2002 – Grundfos Sponsored Artist, Copenhagen, Denmark

Public and Private Collections

Shah Garg Foundation, New York, New York
Leder Art Collection, New York, New York
Baltimore Museum of Art – Baltimore, MD
Santa Barbara Museum of Art – Santa Barbara, CA
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
Pizzuti Collection – Columbus, OH
Grinnell College Museum of Art – Grinnell, IA
Speed Art Museum Collection – Louisville, KY
KMAC Museum Collection – Louisville, KY
Jim and Irene Karp Collection, Palm Beach, FL
The Shands Collection – Louisville, KY
Henry Heuser, Jr. and Donald Whitfield Collection – Louisville, KY
Brooke and Ambassador Matthew Barzun Collection – Louisville, KY
Stephen Reily and Emily Bingham Collection – Louisville, KY
Brook and Pam Smith Collection – Louisville, KY
Kadim al Sahir, Paris, France
Dar Al Cid Museum Collection – Kuwait City, Kuwait
AK Bank Collection – Istanbul, Turkey
Ministry of Culture Contemporary Collection – Baghdad, Iraq
Tareq Rajab Collection – Kuwait City, Kuwait
Italian Embassy – Baghdad, Iraq
French Embassy – Baghdad, Iraq