Abbas Zahedi is a British-Iranian contemporary artist (b. 1984, London, UK). Initially trained in medicine at University College London, Zahedi turned to art following the death of a close family member, an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic practice. Working across installation, performance, sound, sculpture, and social practice, he combines philosophy, poetics, and participatory encounters to create spaces that encourage care, dialogue, and collective reflection. His work explores grief, healing, migration, spirituality, and the fragile systems that connect individuals and communities, transforming galleries into environments for emotional exchange rather than passive display.
Central to Zahedi’s practice is an exploration of how contemporary art can function as a form of social and emotional infrastructure. Rather than producing autonomous objects, he creates situations in which visitors become active participants, their presence completing the work itself. Drawing upon his medical background alongside contemporary philosophy and lived experience, Zahedi investigates the intersections between institutional structures, vulnerability, and care. His installations frequently incorporate sound, living systems, found objects, and medical technologies, questioning how both human bodies and cultural institutions rely upon networks of mutual support.
Zahedi has established an internationally recognised practice spanning exhibitions, performances, participatory projects, and collaborative research. His work has been presented at leading institutions including Tate Modern, Hauser & Wirth, Whitechapel Gallery, Nottingham Contemporary, Somerset House, CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, the Barbican, Frieze London, and Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art. His ongoing Sonic Support Group extends his exploration of listening as a collective act of care beyond the gallery into public and community settings. Zahedi has received numerous awards, including the Frieze Artist Award (2022), the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists (2021), Artangel’s Thinking Time (2020), and the Stanley Picker Fellowship (2024–25).
He is also an Associate Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, where he continues to develop new conversations around art, care, and collective responsibility.
