MITRA SAMAVAKI
MITRA SAMAVAKI
Photo Credit: Saeed Abdollahi
Mitra Samavaki (she/her) is an Iranian visual artist currently based in Calgary, Canada. She holds a BFA in Sculpture from Tehran University of Art and has recently completed her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of Calgary. Mitra practices art mainly through photography, occasionally incorporating installation and video elements. Photography, for her, is not only a journey of self-exploration but also a bridge that intimately connects her with people and her surrounding environment. Having relocated to Canada in 2021, Mitra's current artistic practices are deeply rooted in the themes of home, identity, and belonging. Her work is mostly inspired by her own experience as an immigrant living between two homelands.
With a 10-year career as a photojournalist, she worked with various news agencies, newspapers, and magazines in Iran. This experience fueled her passion for storytelling and emphasized her belief in the power of photography to raise awareness and create a meaningful impact.
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Mitra’s work has been presented in exhibitions at venues such as Contemporary Calgary, +15 Galleries, Nickle Galleries, the Art Gallery of Alberta, The Alberta Society of Artists, the Calgary Central Library, and Wild Skies Art Gallery. She has been awarded an Alberta Foundation for the Arts Graduate Scholarship and has received the 2023 InFocus Photo Emerging Photographer Award.
Beyond her individual artistic pursuits, She is also the founder and owner of "Tiny-Gift," an Instagram page that emerged during the pandemic to support Iranian independent artists, designers, and makers. This platform showcases and promotes their art and products, fostering connections with potential buyers. Over time, "Tiny-Gift" has transformed into an inspirational space, encouraging art enthusiasts to turn their passion into a business. Through this platform, Mitra's overarching goal is to showcase the rich Persian culture on a global scale.
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Additionally, last year, in collaboration with her husband, she founded Nomadic Studio. Driven by a shared passion for storytelling through photography, their objective is to create lasting visual narratives that capture the essence and emotion of special moments, turning them into treasured memories.
EDUCATION
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2023 Master of Fine Arts (MFA), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2013 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, Tehran University of Art, Tehran, Iran
2006 Diploma in Graphic Design, Modarres School of Art, Tehran, Iran
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EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions​
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2023 A Homesick World, Nickle Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2022 Somewhere In Between, Little Gallery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2022 Home–coming, Little Gallery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2022 Homesick World, The Calgary Central Library in Collaboration with ICAI, Calgary, Alberta
2022 Neither here nor there, Gallery 621, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2021 Memory Objects, Gallery 621, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
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Selected Group Exhibitions
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2024 I Speak Art III, +15 Galleries, Arts Commons, Calgary, Alberta
2024 The Artist’s Lens 2024: Body, The Alberta Society of Artists Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2023 “Home and Migration,” The Alberta Society of Artists Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2023 “Home and Migration”, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
2023 Emerging Photographers Showcase, Exposure Photography Festival, Contemporary Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
2023 The Artist’s Lens 2023: Manifesting the Hidden, The Alberta Society of Artists Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2023 Infocus photo Exhibition: Bringing joy, Wild Skies Art Gallery, The Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel, Edmonton, Alberta
2022 “Migration,” Online, Analog Forever Magazine
2018 ​15th Image of the Year Exhibition, Iranian Artist’s House, Tehran, Iran
2017 Tehran Identity, Hooner house, Tehran, Iran
2016 The 2nd International Photography Festival of Tehran Milad Tower, Milad Tower Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2016 Monologue, Shenakht Gallery, Tehran, Iran
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AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND HONORS
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2023 InFocus Photo Emerging Photographer Award Winner
2022 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Graduate Scholarships, University of Calgary
2022 Artist of the Month Of The Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI)
2022 Interview with CKUA: Alberta’s Radio Network
2022 Candidates of The Alberta Society of Artists Scholarships 2022
2022 Faculty of Graduate Studies Scholarship, University of Calgary
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RESIDENCIES
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2024 IAACC Artist in Residency in partnership with FUSE33 Makerspace, Calgary, Albert