sass popoli
Bio
sass popoli is a London-based Iranian painter and poet whose work spans in installations, publication, and performance. Their recent exhibitions include a solo show at Lungley Gallery, London (2024); Dig and Rise at The Kala Gallery, Berkeley, CA (2023); Spider on Hairs at Stiftung Künstlerdorf, Schöppingen, Germany (2023); Present Artifact at Ralph Arnold Gallery, Loyola University Chicago (2021); Kolombeh at 6018NORTH, Chicago (2019); and Sahand Bijeh [Kalam] Zanjani at Azad Gallery, Tehran (2016 and 17).
Popoli is the author of Mahbubeh (Poor Farm Press, 2021) and the spring clouds of smiles (2024), and co-author, illustrator, and printmaker of common /play\grounds (2025). Their performance work has been presented at Peer Gallery and The Mosaic Rooms, London (2025); Chicago Cultural Center and Mana Contemporary, Chicago (2019); and Links Hall, Chicago (2018).
They have held fellowships at Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen (2023) and Kala Art Institute (2022), and participated in the Viewing Program at The Drawing Center, New York (2021).
CV
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts in Studio: Painting and Drawing, School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Bachelor of Science. Pure Mathematics, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
ART PROGRAM
2023 Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen residency program, Schöppingen, Germany
2022 Kala Art Institute, Fellowship, Berkeley, CA
2021 The Drawing Center, Viewing Program, Panel Discussion with Lisa Sigal, Instagram Live Studio Visit, The Drawing Center, New York City, NY
SOLO
2024
sass popoli, Lungley Gallery, London, UK
2023
Spider on Hairs, Stiftung Künstlerdorf, Schöppingen, Germany
2020
['Toilet Paper'](), Crossroads Gallery of the ND Center for Civic Innovation, The Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture, curated by Jahan Khajavi, South Bend, IN
2019
Kolombeh, Please Take a Seat and Tell Me Your Name, 6018NORTH, Chicago, IL
2017
Sahand Bijeh [Kalam] Zanjani, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2016
Percussive Planes, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
GROUP
2025
Cubitt’s Community Zine & Publishing Fair, London, UK
Miss Read, Bazar Art Books, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
Sticky Fingers Publishing Fair 2nd Ed., common /play\grounds, with yasamin ghalehnoie, St. James' Hatcham Church, London, UK
lip service, Peer Gallery, with yasamin ghalehnoie and Hannah Clarkson, London, UK
2024
Souvenir, Light Beams Under A Bridge Vol. 9, London, UK
From Lips to the Moon, reading poems with Tara Fatehi, Pouya Ehsaei, Hammadi Rencurrel Valdes (percussions), Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay (poet), Oluwaseun Olayiwola (poet), Phoenix Yemi(poet), and Lars from Earth (DJ), London, UK
NY Art Book Fair (NYABF), via Falgoush, NYC, NY
Brooklyn Art Book Fair, Eighth annual (BKABF), via Falgoush, Brooklyn, NY
Paris Ass Book Fair, via Falgoush, Paris, Fr
2023
Belonging, reading with Annalee Davis, Muna Gurung, Tamar Noort, and Maë Schwinghammer, and Beyond Literature, Poetry Reading, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen, Germany
Dig and Rise, The Kala Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2022
Small Press Book Bazaar, SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
2021
Present Artifact, Ralph Arnold Gallery, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
Terrain Biennal, Olivia Gallery, Curated by Jess Bass, Andy Hunt, Rob Sohmer, Chicago, IL
Separate Boundary, Iranian Artists’ Forum, Tehran, Iran
2020
The Annual Exhibition of the Association of Iranian Painters (AIP), Tehran, Iran
The Future of Our Plans, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Long Hello, Curated by Carter Foster, The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2019
With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters, Jose Lerma, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL
IDEAL: The World As We Want It, Curated by: Sara Zielinski, Sullivan Center, Chicago, IL
2018
24 Hour News Cycle, Curated by Alex Keller, Maclean Center, Chicago, IL
2017
Postcardese, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
Immediacy 2, Haan Art Gallery, Shiraz, Iran
Shabtab 2, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2016
Peace on Paper, Niyavaran Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran
PUBLICATION
2025
common /play\grounds, with yasamin ghalehnoie, London, UK
2024
i’m spring clouds of smiles, self-published, London, UK
2021
Mahbubeh, published by Poor Farm Press, Manawa, WI
TALK
2022
Open Book: Mahbubeh by Sahand Heshmati Afshar, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL
2021
Present Artifact, Ralph Arnold Gallery, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
In Conversation: Viewing Program, Akum Maduka, Sahand Heshmati Afshar and Sophie Grant, Drawing Center, NYC, NY
Instagram Live with Viewing Program Artist Sahand Heshmati Afshar, Drawing Center, NYC, NY
2020
Grad Talk, Painting and Drawing Department, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
COLLABORATION
2024
common /play\grounds, The Mosaic Rooms, London, UK. (with yasamin ghalehnoie)
2023
FEAST OF THE ASS, Jahan Khajavi, Ugly Duckling Presse, Brooklyn, NY. (Designing the book cover)
Passing It On: Lessons Learnt from the Fair and Equitable pilot phase, CVAN, London, UK. (Designing the layout)
2021
Todas Somos Una. En Voz Alta, Beyond Bounds: Arts Administration Symposium, Chicago, IL. (Camara and audio for Sofia Gabriel)
2020
Becoming the insect, International Virtual performance art happening, The Trojan Donkey, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. (Camera for Irene Wa.)
2019
Never Again This Time: composition for 6 lamps after Alex Forrest, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL. (Performance for Aram Atamian)
Inner Compulsion, OGGI Gallery, Chicago, IL. (reading poem for the closing of Elnaz Javani Inner Compulsion)
Trisha and Homer, for Cherrie Yu, Body + Camera 2019, Chicago Cultural Center and Links Hall, Chicago, IL. (Performance for Cherrie Yu)
PRESS
2025
Pillar of Societies, Center for Peripheries On Paper, Berlin, Germany
2020
January Parkos Arnall, “Eyes On 8.17.20”, Chicago, IL. (Online)
Yolanda Cesta Cursach Montilla, “Eyes On 8.8.20”, Chicago, IL. (Online)
Lori Waxman, “60 WRD/MIN ART CRITIC”, Chicago, IL. (Online)
Lori Waxman, “Are You A Foreign Artist? - Round Three”, Quarantine Times, Chicago, IL. (Online)
Sahand Heshmati Afshar interviewed by Cui, Decheng
2017
Financial Tribune. “Criminals Portrayed at Azad Art Gallery,” Tehran, Iran. (Online)
Sahar Eftekharzadeh, “هر کدامتان میتوانید بر روی این مبل بنشینید”, Tandis Magazine, Tehran, Iran. (Online)
COLLECTION
James Graham Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen, Germany
Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
MOP Foundation, London, UK
John M. Flaxman Library, Special Collections, Chicago, IL
Columbia College Chicago Library, Main Stacks, Chicago, IL
Don Layden Jr., private collection, Milwaukee, WI
Rozita Sharfjahan, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
Saber Abar, INJA Gallery, Tehran, Iran
AWARD/ GRANT
2024
Project Grants, Arts Council England, UK. (with yasamin ghalehnoie)
2023
Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen, fellowship, Schöppingen, Germany
2021
Kala Art Institute, Fellowship, Berkeley, CA
Emergency Grant for Artists, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, NYC, NY
Artist Relief Grant, Artist Relief Consortium, Chicago, IL
2020
James Nelson Raymond Fellowships and the Municipal Art League Award Finalist, Chicago, IL
2019
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Travel Grant, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
School of The Art Institute of Chicago, International Affairs, Chicago, IL
2018
School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Incentive, Chicago, IL
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2019
Instructor of Record, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Teacher Assistant, Painting and Drawing Department, Continuing Studies, Contemporary Practices, School of The Art Institute of Chicago
2018
Teacher Assistant, Painting and Drawing Department and Film, Video, New Media, and Animation Department, School of The Art Institute of Chicago