Mahshid’s journey into Art started at the age of fourteen after being admitted to the academy of Fine Arts in Tehran, Iran. Her studies were cut short due to the socio-political situation and the Iran-Iraq war, she fled Iran and arrived in Canada without her parents.
Mahshid is a graduate of Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada with an additional year of studying traditional methods of paintings and drawing through Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy.
She has exhibited in public and private galleried in Canada, US and Italy.
Her fascinations with traditional techniques have been a continuous source of inspiration in her career as an artist and art educator since her return from Italy in 2002.
She has been a faculty member at the Ottawa School of Art for the past wo decades. She now lives in the Greater Toronto Area and continues her art practice in this vibrant city at her studio.
Artist Statement
Examining concepts of identity and belonging have been the moving force behind my artworks.
I have explored the identity of Muslim women in exile (supported by Canada Arts Council/creation production grant), a mother’s sense of belonging through painting of my children, exploring identity through portraits of children with mental health as well as Healing journey of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and active members affected by PTSD.
My search for belonging is of the personal, communal, and global. I am interested in making art that attempts to inspire and connect people through their stories. I am drawn to people’s journeys which I express through portrait, floral and or figure compositions, to acknowledge our desire to connect and to belong.
Technically I am influenced by traditional mediums of painting, drawing, metal works and their contemporary appropriation. I approach each work as a renewed opportunity to delve into the search for that unwavering, and graceful gesture ingrained in the very heart of humanity and the human condition. This is my attempt to encourage a dialogue between the viewer and the viewed, in hopes of creating a better world.
Education
| 2001 | Charles H. Cecil Studio. Florence, Italy. |
| 1996 – 1997 | Ontario College of Art and Design. Renaissance Art History and Studio Off-Campus program, Florence, Italy, |
| 1993 – 1997 | Ontario College of Art & Design, Drawing & Painting Department. Honours program, Toronto, Canada. |
| 1992 – 1993 | York University, Visual Arts, North York, Canada. |
Solo Exhibitions
| 2023 | Shenkman Art Centre, OSA Gallery, Red Blanket Project, Ottawa. |
| 2021 | Preston Square, Red Blanket Project, An exhibition in progress, Ottawa. |
| 2017 | Preston Square, I AM ME, Ottawa |
| 2009 | AWOL Gallery, LET SILENCE SPEAK, Toronto |
| 2008 | Blink Gallery, WHICH ROOF IS YOUR ROOF, Ottawa |
| 2008 | The National Library & Archives Ottawa, MEMORIALIZING ANCIETN PERSIA AND THE MODERN IRAN, Canada |
| 2007 | La Petite Mort Gallery, FLOWERS OF HOPE, Ottawa. |
| 2006 | AWOL Gallery, BREATH, Writing Herself into History, Toronto. |
| 2004 | Sussex Gallery, COEPI, Ottawa, Ont. Canada |
| 2002 | A.W.O. L Gallery, NAFAS, Toronto, Ont. Canada |
Selected Group Exhibitions
| 2024 | JOHN B. AIRD GALLERY, Drawing 2024/ an online exhibition Late June 2024. http://airdgallery.org/publications/ |
| 2023 | WALL GALLERY, Shankman Art Center, Third floor, Drawings collection. |
| 2006-2022 | O.S.A GALLERY, Annual Instructors Exhibit, Ottawa |
| 2015 | FRIZI GALLERY, Her Stories, Ottawa |
| 2014 | CUBE GALLERY, Black and White, Ottawa |
| 2014 | THE STUDIO CAFFE GALLERY, in: form, Ottawa. |
| 2013 | ARTS COURT, Stephen Harper: The Portrait Gallery, Ottawa |
| 2013 | CUBE GALLERY, Great Big Smalls, Ottawa |
| 2013 | FRIZI GALLERY Proud, Ottawa |
| 2013 | CUBE GALLERY, Flora, Ottawa |
| 2012 | CITY HALL GALLERY, Close to Home, Ottawa. |
| 2012 | CUBE GALLERY, Great Big Smalls VIII, Ottawa. |
| 2012 | A.W.O. L GALLERY, Square foot, Toronto, Canada. |
| 2012 | SAINT BRIGID’S CENTRE FOR THE ARTS, Figure Works, Ottawa. |
| 2012 | UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, Tirgan Festival, Ottawa. |
| 2012 | FRITZI GALLERY, Undercurrents & Fritzi Gallery, Falling Open. Ottawa. |
| 2011 | CUBE GALLERY, Florence. Ottawa, Canada. |
| 2011 | ORANGE GALLERY, FIGUREWORKS JURIED AWARD SHOW Ottawa. |
| 2005-2010 | AWOL Gallery, Square Foot, Toronto. |
| 2007 | Ecclesiax Church, IS IT ALRIGHT…? An evening of dance and visual arts exploring our relationship with food. Ottawa. |
| 2007 | La Petite Mort Gallery, Flowers of Hope, Ottawa. |
| 2006 | Propeller Gallery, PROPELLER TURNS 10, Toronto. |
| 2003 & 04 | The Magic Door Art Gallery, SIGRAZIECIAO, Sunderland, Ontario. |
SELECTED INTERNATION EXHIBITIONS
| 2006 | New York, Williamsburg, USA. AWOL Gallery in New York The Square Foot Show. |
| 2001 | Florence, Italy, Campo Bisensio, APRILARTE, Villa Montalvo, Cultural Ass. C.Bisesio. |
| 2001 | Rome, Capena, Italy, Da Vinci Biennale, International painting/ sculpture Exhibition. |
| 2000 | Florence, Italy, Webpuccino Gallery, NASCONDERE E SCOPRIRE. |
GRANTS / PUBLIC WORK
| 2023 | ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL, Exhibition grant. |
| 2011 | CITY OF OTTAWA DIRECT PURCHASE |
| 2011 | FIGUREWORKS JURRIED AWARD SHOW, honourable mention. |
| 2000 | CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS, Creation/Production Grant, Emerging. |
PUBLICATIONS (Selected articles and interviews)
| 2024 | Arts to Heart Project-101 Arts Books Floral Edition |
| 2023 | Ottawa Morning with Robyn Bresnahan / Oct 02/2023 https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-100-ottawa-morning/clip/16013023-red-blanket-project |
| 2021 | EspiritDeCorps magazine,November issue. http://espritdecorps.ca/in-the-news/red-blanket-project-exhibit-at-preston-square-features-stunning-portraits-of-canadian-veterans |
| 2017 | Inspiration: International Artbook-Contemporary Masters Collection Vol.5.Page 114. |
| 2015 | www.ottawastar.com/mahshid-farhoudi-ottawa-artist-brings-identity-and-culture-to-canvas/ |
| 2014 | Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/04/15/stephen-harper-art-portraitsphotos_n_5119936.html |
| 2013 | CBC Radio and CBC News, Stephen Harper Portrait Gallery, Nov 26th. Interview with the artist. |
| 2013 | Ottawa Citizen, Portraits of Stephen Harper a cold -eye emperor, Nov 26th. By Peter Simpson. |
| 2013 | Ottawa Citizen, Portraits of Stephen Harper won’t be “attacks”, Nov 11th, by P.Simpson. |
| 2013 | The Singing Bowl Voices of the Enemy, by Madeleine Segall-Marx. Hudson House Publishing, NY. USA |
| 2009 | Hamseda Radio, (CHIN) Interview with the artist. March 2009. Ottawa. |
| 2007 | Canoe live, square foot event, AWOL Gallery, Discussion on the artist. |
| 2006 | Language and Literary Journal, www./anqandlit.ualberta.ca/current.html Volume 8/issue 2/ |
| 2006 | Book Breath: Writing Herself into History. A Collaborative book bringing together Mahshid’s paintings & poetry of Kelly Young poet & professor @Trent University. |
| 2005 | Other voices poetry, www.othervoicespoetry.org, vol.15 with poetry of Kelly Young. |
| 2005 | palabras press, www.palabras-press.com |
| 2004 | Hipster & Poser, VOL I, p.18. Sep 1st . Ottawa. |
| 2003 | Slate Magazine, July/August issue, P 2. Image |
| 2002 | Shahrema TV, Chin TV (Iranian program), Interview with the artist, covering solo exhibit NAFAS. May 30th . |
| 2002 | Shahrvand, newspaper, vol.11, #686, p.53, May 24. Toronto |