curriculum vitae
EDUCATION
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
M.F.A. Studio Art, 2006
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DePaul University, Chicago, IL
B. A. With Honors, Psychology and Art, 2002
EXHIBITIONS
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
Drone Stories, Dittmar Memorial Art Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
2014
Bolt Solo Exhibition, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, IL
2009
A Contested Trajectory (solo exhibition), Arc Gallery, Chicago, IL
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GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
Mother Art Prize (forthcoming), Elephant West, London, UK
In Flux Chicago Artists and Immigration (Cur: Trica Van Eck), Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Extended Self, Hyde Park Arts Center, Chicago, IL
2019
Living Architecture (Cur. Tricia Van Eck), Lubeznik Center, Michigan City, Michigan
Extended Self, Hyde Park Arts Center, Chicago, IL
E- Pluribus (Cur: Barbara Koenen), Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, Oberlin, Ohio
2018
Living Architecture, (Cur: Tricia Van Eck) 6018 North, Chicago, IL
Through Her Eyes, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL
Making Change: The Art and Craft of Activism (Cur: Betsy Greer), Museum of Design, Atlanta, GA
Experimental Video Showcase, (Cur Anne S. Hayden & Matt ) Evanston Arts Center, Evanston, IL
Reclaimed Baggage (Cur: Nirmal Raja), Northern Illinois University Museum, DeKalb, IL
2017
Chicago 9 (Cur: William Cordova), Prizm Art Fair, Miami, FL E- Pluribus (Cur: Barbara Koenen), Kent State University Galleries, Kent, OH Archival Alchemy (Cur: Saisha Grayson), Abrons Arts Center, NYC, NY 2016 Time+Place Ragdale 40th Anniversary (Cur: Regin Igloria), Highland Park Art Center, Highland Park, IL
2015
Document (Cur: Jessica Cochrane), Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL 2014
Juried Exhibition, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL
Preview 3, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, IL
2013
Muslimah, International Museum of Women, Virtual Marwen Art Fair, Marwen, Chicago, IL
2012
5 on the Prairie, The Annex, Spudnik Press, Chicago, IL
2011
Voices of Resistance 10: REVISION, Marwen, Chicago, IL
Your Pushing too Hard (Cur: Hilesh Patel), Chicago Art Department, Chicago, IL
2010
Lahore to Chicago: Connecting Edge (Cur: Sadia Uqaili) , Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Voices of Resistance 9: Fair & Lovely, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
2009
Voices of Resistance 8: (be)longing, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
2008
Feminist Interrogations, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
Wordplay, Southside Center for the Arts, Chicago, IL
2007
Community Café, Inner City Muslim Action Network, Chicago, IL
2006
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
Again & Again, Ideotech, Chicago, IL
2005
Text off the Page, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
Voices of Resistance 4, Insight Arts, Chicago, IL
2003
Barcelona Contemporary Arts Festival, Barcelona, Spain
Prism, Advocate Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
ArtWallah Festival, Advocate Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
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PERFORMANCES
2020
Darmiyaan (TBD), Three Walls, Chicago, IL
Writing the Unknown III, In Flux Chicago Artists and Immigration, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
2018
Darmiyaan, Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL
Writing the Unknown II, Northern IL University Art Museum, Dekalb, IL
2017
Writing the Unknown II, Kent State University Galleries, Kent, OH
2014
Writing the Unknown, Closing Performance Everyday Suspects, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, I
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RESIDENCIES
2016-2017
Field/Work Artist Residency, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, IL
2013-2014
Bolt Artist Residency, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, IL
2012
Ragdale Teaching Artist Residency, Ragdale, Lake Forest, IL
2008
Kala Artist Residency, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
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AWARDS
2020
Mother Art Prize Finalist, London, UK
2017
Cultural Fund Grant, Evanston Arts Council, Evanston, IL
2017
Cultural Fund Grant, Evanston Arts Council, Evanston, IL
2014
Individual Artist Grant, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Chicago, IL
2008
Juror’s Prize, Best in Show, Feminist Interrogations, Arc Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004-2006
Walter and Grace Bryant Grant, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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TEACHING
Present-January 2010
Marwen, Teaching Artist, Chicago, IL
Courses for h.s. students included: Drawing the Figure, Drawing Portraits, Drawing Environments, & Drawing Objects
Portfolio Development Workshops
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Present-September 2017
Oakton Community College, Adjunct Lecturer, Skokie, IL
Women Art & Culture
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May 2012-October 2012
Woman Made Gallery, 20 Neighborhoods Project, Teaching Artist, Chicago, IL ​
PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND CURATORIAL WORK
February 2015
Reflections on Drones and Militarism, Event Curator, Comfort Station, Chicago, IL ​
2009-2011
Voices of Resistance (VOR), Visual Art Curator & Event Co-Producer, Chicago, IL
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LECTURES
2019
Presenting Artist, Feminism and Sewing Course, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago,IL
2018
Workshop Presenter, “Creating Brave and Inclusive Art Spaces,” International Teaching Artist Conference, NYC, NY
Artist Talk, Contemporary Practices Course, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Reclaimed Baggage Opening Panel, Panelist, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL
Drone Stories Artist Talk, Panelist & Presenter, Dittmar Memorial Art Gallery, Evanston, IL
2017
Portfolios and Career Pathways in the Arts, Panelist, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Keynote Conference, Chicago, IL
2016
We Are Unboxable, Presenter, Evanston Township High School, Evanston, IL
Tools for Teaching, Panelist, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2014
Portfolio Practices, Panelist, Co-Prosperity Sphere, Chicago, IL
Creating Justice Symposium, Presenter, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL
Unmanned, (a staged reading), Presenter, Silk Road Rising, Chicago, IL
2012
Artist Talk, People Product Place, Marwen, Chicago, IL
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SELECTED PRESS/BIBLIOGRAPHY
2019
Visualist Chicago, “Top V Weekend Picks, 2/14-2/20,” Bad at Sports, February 14.
http://badatsports.com/2019/top-v-weekend-picks-2-14-2-20/
2018
Lori Waxman, "Not the Same Old Immigrant Story as Hard Questions are Asked at 6018 North Gallery,” Chicago Tribune, September 20.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ae-living-architecture-review-waxman-0923-story.html
Jake Holland, "Dittmar exhibit explores intimate intersections of surveillance, domestic life," The Daily Northwestern, (Evanston, IL)
Amy Yang, "In Photos: Drone Stories Opens in Dittmar Gallery, " North by Northwestern, (Evanston, IL)
2017
Stephanie Kulke, "From the community: Dittmar exhibition examines war surveillance and the individual," Chicago Tribune, (Chicago, IL)
Ana Sekler, Working the Alternative and Alum Looks Beyond the Mainstream, F-News (Chicago, IL)
2016
Derek Hamilton, "Sabba Syal Elahi Interview," Asian American Art Oral History Project, (Chicago, IL)
2013
Simi Matthews, "Sabba Syal Elahi Interview," Asian American Oral History Project, May 16,
2011
Sabba Elahi & Ahalya Satkunaratnam, "Voices Of Resistance 10: Arts and 9/11," Samar Magazine Online
2009
Michael Weinstein, "Review Sabba Saleem Syal/ARC Gallery," New City Art, (Chicago, IL)
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Art to Live, Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL
Private Collection, Oakland, CA
Private Collection, Miami, FL
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