A woman with long curly hair squatting on rocks by the water, wearing a black cap, black clothing, and black boots, with bird-like wings attached to her back.

Photo Performance, Captured by Katayoun Bahrami

Shaghayegh Cyrous is a multidisciplinary artist whose immersive practice spans video, photography, installation, performance, painting & social practice. Rooted in myth, nature, and ancestral memory, her work explores identity, belonging, and the spiritual threads that connect us across time and culture. Through poetic imagery and theatrical environments, she evokes dreamlike spaces where the ancient and contemporary meet—where presence becomes ritual, and personal memory becomes collective myth. In a world increasingly detached from the natural world, Cyrous’s work calls us back into communion with the earth, with each other, and with the wisdom of those who came before.

Cyrous received her BA in Visual Art from Science and Culture University in Tehran and her MFA in Social Practice from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Cyrous received an honoree award for Culturally Diverse Women's “Making a Difference” in 2023 in Los Angeles. She was a Gold Art Prize nominee and has exhibited and performed internationally at venues such as Tehran MOCA, the British Museum in London, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Institut für Alles Mögliche in Berlin, Germany, the Anchorage Museum in Alaska, Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, and Netflix’s Invisible Billboard and the billboard of City of West Hollywood in Los Angeles.

SHAGHAYEGH CYROUS

b. Tehran, Iran, based in Los Angeles, California

www.shcyrous.com  | shaghayeghcyrous  @  gmail.com

  • 2017, MFA in Social Practice, California College of the Arts (CCA), San Francisco, CA

    2010, BA in Visual Arts Studies, University of Science and Culture (USC), Tehran, Iran

    2005, AA Graphic Design, University of Science and Culture (USC), Tehran, Iran

    • 2024, Xvarnah, 9157 Sunset Boulevard, Moving Image Media Arts (MIMA), City of West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA

    • 2023, “The New Common," Prospect Art Broadcast, Curated by Prima Jalichandra-Sakintabhai, Los Angeles, CA

    • 2023, When the Sun Rotates, In honor of Women, Sales Force Tower, San Francisco, CA

    • 2022, Golden Hour, Netflix Invisible Frame Billboard, 8743 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

    • 2022, When the Sun Rotates, In honor of Mahsa Amini, Woman, Life, Freedom, Sales Force Tower, San Francisco, CA

    • 2022, When the Sun Rotates, Iranian American Women Day, April 27, IAWF, Jim Campbell Day for Night project Canvas on Salesforce Tower, San Francisco, CA

    • 2022, “AMP Folktales” 2022 season, One of the 8th series of 8 episodes broadcasted monthly, California Arts Council, Oakland, CA

    • 2020, The Window, Kottbusser Damm 68 Gallery, Berlin, Germany

    • 2019, In Honor of..., (performance) 4 Waves: 40 Performances for the Hole, SOMARTS Culture Center, San Francisco, CA  

    • 2018, Radioactive Rug, Adobe Book, San Francisco, CA 

    • 2017, The House of Power, Four Elements Fitness, Oakland, CA

    • 2015, Lost Rug Project, Meyer Library, Oakland, CA

    • 2011, Motivation, Tehran East Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

  • 2024

    • Blooming Lights, Two Person Exhibition, with Katayoun Bahrami, Artists Television Access, San Francisco, CA

    2021

    • The Journey سفر, with Keyvan Shovir, Artists Village Corner, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

    2019

    2018

    • Language Project Workshop, With Magdalena Jadwiga Härtelova, Berkeley Art Museum and  Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), Berkeley, CA

    • Over Here Not Yet, With Renée Rhodes, Royal Nonesuch Gallery, Oakland, CA

    • The Essence of Threads, Sanctuary, For-Site Foundation, Fort Mason Chapel, San Francisco, CA

    2017​

    • Mother Song, The Mother Tongue Project, What We Offer is Free, (In Memory of Ted Purves), With Magdalena Jadwiga Härtelova, Hubbell   Street Galleries, San Francisco, CA

    • Golden Class Language Breakfast, The Mother Tongue Project, Magdalena Jadwiga Härtelova, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Open   Engagement, Chicago, IL

    • The Garden, Practice Social, With Camilla Hammer, Hubbell Street Galleries, San Francisco, CA

    2016

    • Critiquing United Nations, The Mother Tongue Project, SFArtNight, With Shirishti School in Bangalore, With Magdalena Jadwiga Härtelova, India, UN Plaza, San Francisco, CA

    • The Language tour, with Magdalena Jadwiga Härtelova, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

    • Museum in Museum, With  Prima Sakuntabhai, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

    • The Language Project, Parking Lot Art Fair, With Magdalena Jadwiga Härtelova, San Francisco, CA

    • Unison of Sky, The 5th festival of 30 performances, 30 Artists, 30 days, curated by Amir Rad, with Samira Davarfara, Tehran MOCA, and CCA in San Francisco, Iran/USA

    2014

    • The Future of the Past, The Past of Future, the 4th festival of 30 performances, 30 artists, 30 days, with Samira Davarfara, Tehran East Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

    • Red Carpet and Black Dandelion, With Sepa Sama, Solitary Collaborative Practice, Emeryville, CA

  • 2024  

    • 21+Over, with La Pocha Nostra, Performance Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA

    • Performance with La Pocha Nostra, "State of Play Festival," San Francisco, CA

    • Manifest Differently, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

    2023   

    • The New Commons, Curated by Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai, Prospect Art, Los Angeles, CA

    • The Cup Flows Over, Art From the Soul of Iran, Curated by Tim Blunk, Bergen Gallery, New Jersey, NY

    2022

    • Zhian, The Touch of Sun, at Alien Race, LA Art Core, Los Angeles, CA

    • The Flow, Central Stage, and Artists Television Access, CA

    • Khamsa, Art Together, Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland, CA

    • Peace Letter to Ukraine”, The Ukraine Darkroom,  Alphabet Art Centre, Cologne, Germany

    2021      

    • Orbits/ Maddarha, Midnight Artists Collaboration, with Finely + Muse, Project of Jim Campbell Day for Night, Canvas on Salesforce Tower, San Francisco, CA

    • The Cycle, Eclipsed Body, Harmful Space, curated by Paria Vatankhah, Festival d'Oodaaq, Le lieu, Rennes, France

    • Bangkit Sama Sama/ Together We Rise, Clarion Alley Mural Project, Asian Art Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia & San Francisco, CA

    • Walking, Project 13, Central Stage, Richmond, CA

    • Bangkit Sama-Sama/ Arise Together, Cultural Exchange between the US and Indonesia, Clarion Alley Mural Project, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

    2020 

    • When We Decide to End Themselves, Central Stage, Richmond, CA

    • The Archive to Come, Telematic Media Arts, San Francisco, CA

    • Sensibility against Violence, NewMedia fest 2020, IAM-Institut für Alles Mögliche, Berlin, Germany

    2019

    • Rock & Mortar, Video Installation Performance, With Kim Epifano and Epiphany Dance Theater, Z Space, San Francisco, CA

    • Everybody was Waiting, Part of In Honor of... The project, with Sholeh Asgary and Sahar Delijani, Artists Television Access (ATA), San   Francisco,   CA

    • Sensibility against Violence, Iranian Women artists, 25th International Video Art Festival of Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco

    • Once at Present, Contemporary Art of Bay Area Iranian Diaspora, Curated by Kevin Chen and Taraneh Hemami, Minnesota Street Project,   San Francisco, CA

    • Forms & Figures, Echo Park Film Center, Los Angeles, CA

    • ART AND THE 4th DIMENSION, International Symposium on Conceptions of Time, Space and Movement in Art, The International Affairs Office of the College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran 

    • Rock e Malta, ALTERNATIVA’s FRESH Festival, With Epiphany Dance Theatre, San Francisco, CA

    2018 

    • TRASLACION, Ctrl+Shft, Oakland, CA 

    • No Smell Not Touch, Screening, Temescal Arts Center, Oakland, CA 

    • Media Arts Film Screening, Kala Media Arts Fellows and Honorees, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA

    • Orium II,  Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland, CA

    • "A River Flowing," East of West Gallery,  Santa Fe, New Mexico

    • Art Give Back, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

    • "You Had to Be There," Klozar Weaving, Swissnex, San Francisco, CA

    • Kala Artists’ Annual Exhibition, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA 

    2017  

    • Pronounce My Name?, East of West, Santa Fe, New Mexico 

    • Flush!, Site-Specific Video Installation, Concept 190, San Francisco, CA

    • A Window to Tehran, Commencement Exhibition 2017, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA

    • The Wing, Art, and Crime, Organized by Kota Ezawa, Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA

    • The Closest I Could Get to the Sun, MFA Thesis Exhibition, PFC, Wattis, San Francisco, CA

    • Debtfair (participating artist), a project of Occupy Museums, Whitney Biennial 2017, Whitney Museum, New York, NY

    • Meet "THEM," MENArt Group, 100 Days Action, Hubbell Street Galleries, San Francisco, CA

    • A Window to Tehran, MFA Now 2017, Root Division, San Francisco, CA

    • Again, Rigo 23 project, Anglim Gilbert Gallery, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA 

    2016  

    • #‎simulacra, A window to Tehran, Embark Gallery, Juried by Julie Casemore and Allie Haeusslein

    • In-Transit, Hubble Street Gallery, San Francisco, CA

    • Our Gallery Is Your Living Room, Curated by Susanne Cockril, College Avenue Galleries, Oakland, CA

    • Letters to Species, Social Practice CCA, Academy of Science, San Francisco, CA

    • Inhale, Silk Road Gallery, Tehran, Iran

    • Crossroads project, Make a Change exhibition, curated by Sepa Sama, at Kulturcentrum Ronneby Konsthall, Ronneby, Sweden.

    • Critiquing the United Nations, a sound installation of The Language Project at SFArtNight, Shirishti School in Bangalore, India

    • Practice Social, Art Center Gallery, San Francisco, CA

    2015   

    • Can We Talk About Art?, facilitated by Amanda Eicher, SFMOMA On The Go, San Francisco, CA

    • Outside Ourselves, Ourselves Outside, Borderline Collective, San Francisco, CA

    • Inside Out Iran, Art Canteen, Rich Mix, London, UK

    • Parking Lot Art Fair, San Francisco, CA

    • Offline.1, SO Contemporary, London, UK

    2014  

    • Ma (We), With Taraneh Hemami, Fabrication Exhibition, Project of Survival, Southern Exposure (SoEx), San Francisco, CA

    • Culture Citizen: The Immigrant and the Stranger, Denver Seminary, The Bridge Gallery, Denver, Colorado

    • Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA

    2013     

    • Speak Your Peace, SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA

    2012        

    •  Mirror, Golestan Palace, Curated by Drawing House, Tehran, Iran

    2011   

    • Balcony, Aaran Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

    • Ajayebol Maxluqat, Momayyez Art Gallery, Drawing House, Tehran, Iran

    • Portrait, Seyhoun Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

    • In Appreciation of Shamsul ‘Emare, Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran

    2010   

    • Water, mud, wind, fire, in appreciation of Pakistan’s flood, Solh Gallery, Red Crescent, Tehran, Iran

    • First Iranian Art Festival, Saba Museum of Art, Tehran, Iran

    • Spring, Magic of Persia (MOP) curated by Haleh Anvari, British Museum of London, UK

    • Coffee House, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

    2009  

    • The Traveler, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

    2008  

    • BIENAL INTERNACIONAL DEL CARTEL EN MÉXICO, 10BICM, México

    • Damunfar 2nd Visual Art Exhibition, Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran

    • Drawing Parade, Curated by Drawing House, Laleh Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

    • The World, Curated by Akbar Nikanpour, Afrand Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran ​

    • 2021, The Journey, Mural, Village Artist Corner, With Keyvan Shovir, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

    • 2019, In Honor of, Mural in support of women prisoners in Iran, Clarion Alley Mural Project, San Francisco, CA

    • 2015, In Memory of, Mural, With Keyvan Shovir, Clarion Alley Mural Project, San Francisco, CA

    • 2014, Persian Dreams, Mural, With Keyvan Shovir, Clarion Alley Mural Project, San Francisco, CA   

    • Zamin Project, A multi-faceted art project, aims to create a space for dialogue and connection between SWANA artists, curators, and educators in the Bay Area and beyond. 

    • Klozar Weaving Project, Changing the power dynamic between the weaver and the market industry. 

  • Logo with a pixelated map of West Hollywood, California, and the text 'City of West Hollywood California 1984'
  • Graphic with orange background and white text spelling out 'OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA' in a stylized, staggered arrangement.
  • KOED Arts logo with the text 'KOED' in black and pink, and 'Arts' in pink below.
  • Text graphic with the word "HYPERALLERGIC" in bold blue letters.
  • The word "LOVE" written in large, bold letters on a black background.
  • Logo with a black starburst background featuring the initials 'AP' with a diagonal slash crossing them, and the words 'ART PRACTICAL' below.
  • The image features text with Persian script and the BBC logo, including the words "BBC" in black boxes.
  • A stylized letter 'F' with a striped pattern in white, blue, and brown, with the word 'FORUM' written below in white,
  • Large red block letters spelling out the word "SALE".
  • Logo of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts featuring a black geometric shape with the letters Y B C A and the organization's name to the right.
  • Marin Magazine logo with black text on a white background.
  • Red text spelling out 'SF MO MA' in a staggered arrangement.
  • The PBS logo with a large black circle containing a lowercase 'p' and a large blue circle containing a lowercase 'w'.
  • Logo of Persian Media Production with Persian script and a play button
  • The phrase 'BOLD JOURNEY' in large pink and black letters on a white background.
  • Stylized text spelling out "SF MO MA" in red, arranged diagonally.
  • Canva Rebel logo with white text on a black background.
  • Close-up of the blue and black VA logo, representing the American cable TV network and online streaming service.
  • Logo with the text 'e-flux' in bold black letters.
  • Logo of Dawn News, an Iranian news outlet, featuring Persian text on a blue background with decorative elements.
  • The logo of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.
  • SF Examiner logo in black and white with Gothic font.
  • Colorful text spelling out BAMFPA on a blue background.
  • Text logo reading 'The British Museum' in black font on a white background.
  • Logo of The Guardian newspaper with white text on a dark blue background