Samira Hodaei
°1981, Tehran, Iran.
Lives and works in Berlin, Germany and Theran, Iran.
Samira Hodaei is a visual artist based between Berlin and Tehran. In her practice, personal experiences and emotions are transformed into visual forms, with each work becoming a vessel that preserves what the body has forgotten.
Her paintings and installations reflect the contemporary landscape—shaped by globalisation, communication technologies, and other transformations of our time—that often distances us from our human essence. Within this context, Hodaei seeks to translate feelings that are shared across our natural condition.
A defining feature of her work is the use of glass paint applied dot by dot, creating pixelated surfaces that reveal their complete image only from a distance. Her works have been presented in solo and group exhibitions across Europe, the United States, the UAE, Asia, and Australia, as well as in public spaces in Iran and Azerbaijan.
Resume:
Fellowship/Residencies:
2010, Oryx Foundation – Lucerne (CH)
2018, Künstlerhaus Bethanien – Berlin (DE)
2023, Bridderhaus – Esch-sur-Alzette (LU)
Solo exhibitions:
2025, Headless Palms – Valerius Gallery, Luxembourg (LU)
2023, An Empty Sofreh – Sonneundsolche, Düsseldorf (DE)
2021, Under Your Spine (…) You’ll Have My Back – Grüner Salon, Volksbühne, Berlin (DE)
2020, Let them eat oil! – Etemad Gallery, Tehran (IR)
2020, Funded Art Projects From Home – Framed, Berlin (DE)
2019, Presence of an absence – Public Installation, Darvazeh Dowlat Petroleum Museum, Tehran (IR)
2019, Cinema Europe Installation – Framed, Berlin (DE)
2019, Presence of an absence – Public Installation, Petroleum Museum and Documents, Abadan (IR)
2018, Künstlerhaus Bethanien – Berlin (DE)
2017, Signal is Weak! – AB Gallery, Thalwil/Zurich (CH)
2015, Philosophy of the Bedroom – AB Gallery, Lucerne (CH)
2014, And the dance goes on – Cube Arts Gallery, Dubai (AE)
2013, Harem of the Heart – Gallery Aquabit Art, Berlin (DE)
2012, Dancing the sharp edge – AB Gallery, Lucerne (CH)
2011, Endless (Video Project) – AB Projects, Zurich (CH)
2010, Stones and Mute Birds – AB Gallery, Lucerne (CH)
Group exhibitions:
2025, Another Language from the Middle East – Verduyn Gallery (BE)
2024, Dis-placed – Konschthal, Esch-sur-Alzette (LU)
2024, Saarländische Galerie – Berlin (DE)
2023, Saarlandmuseum – Saarbrücken (DE)
2023, An Empty Sofreh – Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (DE)
2022, Tropez – Berlin (DE)
2021, Von offenen Narben + verhüllten Geweben – Galerie Im Saalbau, Berlin (DE)
2021, Framed Process – Framed, Berlin (DE)
2020, But They Were Still Hungry – Savvy Contemporary, Berlin (DE)
2019, Public Installation – Yarat Contemporary, Baku (AZ)
2016, Allusive Moment – MiM Gallery, Los Angeles (US)
2016, Made in Iran – Kunstverein Konstanz, Konstanz (DE)
2015, There Are Too Many Walls But Not Enough Bridges – Kunst(Zeug)Haus, Rapperswil (CH)
2014, And the dance goes on – Cube Arts Gallery, Dubai (AE)
2013, Heavenly Paradise – Schloss Stetteldorf/Vienna (AT)
2013, Endless & Eternity and a Day. Roses – Makii Masaru Fine Arts, Tokyo (JP)
2013, Still Summer II – Makii Masaru Fine Arts, Tokyo (JP)
2013, Born in Iran – AquabitArt, Berlin (DE)
2012, Nishinomiya Funasaka Biennale (JP)
2012, Contemporary Iranian Art – New Albion Gallery, Sydney (AU)
2012, Arimas – AB Gallery, Lucerne (CH)
2012, Group Exhibition – Nuova Galleria Morone, Milan (IT)
2012, Between two cultures – Katara Art Center, Doha (QA)
2010, Across Borders – Iran meets Wiesbaden – NERO Gallery, Wiesbaden (DE)
2007, Group Exhibition – Iranian Artists Forum, Tehran (IR)
2006, Group Exhibition – Nicole Gallery, Tehran (IR)
Bibliography:
2023, Bare Coverings – exh. cat., Künstlerhaus Bethanien (DE)
https://bethanien.de/en/publications/samira-hodaei/
2018, BE #25 – Künstlerhaus Bethanien (DE)
2016, Made in Iran – exh. cat., Kunstverein Konstanz (DE)
2015, There Are Too Many Walls But Not Enough Bridges – exh. cat., Kunst(Zeug)Haus, Rapperswil (CH) & Oryx Foundation, Lucerne (CH)
2015, Philosophy of the Bedroom – exh. cat., AB Gallery, Lucerne (CH)
2014, And the Dance Goes On – exh. cat., Cube Arts Gallery, Dubai (AE)
2013, Heavenly Paradise – exh. cat., Schloss Stetteldorf, Vienna (AT)
2012, Dancing the Sharp Edge – exh. cat., AB Gallery, Lucerne (CH)