About
Yasaman Mollasalehi
Yasaman Mollasalehi is a Manchester-based Iranian painter originally from Tehran. Her practice explores memory, identity, migration, and cultural hybridity through layered oil paintings that combine abstract forms, architectural motifs, and symbolic figures. Drawing inspiration from Persian miniatures, ancient myths, and contemporary visual language, she reimagines inherited traditions within a contemporary painterly practice.
After studying Fine Art at the Tehran University of Art, Yasaman relocated to the United Kingdom to complete an MA in Painting at Manchester School of Art. Since establishing her practice in Manchester, her work has been exhibited across the United Kingdom, Iran, Poland, and Cyprus.
In 2025, she was selected as one of Saatchi Art’s Top 25 Emerging Artists and received the Wallace Seymour Award. Alongside her studio practice, she is a permanent member of 1838 Collective, contributing to exhibitions, public projects, and collaborative initiatives.
Curriculum Vitae
01Education
- 2024MA Painting, Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2021MA Fine Art, Tehran University of Art, Tehran, Iran
02Professional Practice
- 2017–PresentIndependent Painter & Visual Artist, Tehran / Manchester
- 2025–PresentDesigner & Contractor, Mural Painting, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2021Designer & Contractor, Mural Painting, Feeling of a Look Co., Iran
- 2019–2020Project Manager, Mural Painting, Beautification Organization, Tehran City Council, Iran
- 2018Tiling Project, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
03Selected Exhibitions
- 2026HOME Open, HOME Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 202610th Anniversary Exhibition, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2026Catalyst, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- 2026Echo, Cornaro Art Centre, Limassol, Cyprus
- 2026Echo, Islington Mill, Salford, United Kingdom
- 2026Reflecting // Processing, Studio Sanct, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2025Making and Mending, Altogether Otherwise, NOMA, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2025My Story, Your Story, Saan1 Gallery, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2025Enigma, Saan1 Gallery, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2025The Scent of Home, The Station Gallery, York, United Kingdom
- 2025Blue Shop Gallery, London, United Kingdom
- 2024DMZ × Short Supply MADE IT Show, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2024MA Show, Holden Gallery, Manchester School of Art, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2023Print Card International Prints Exchange, SAND, Poland
- 2019The 7th Annual Handprint Making Exchange, Laleh Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
- 2018Group Painting Exhibition, Ehsan Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
- 2017Solo Exhibition, Ferdows Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran
04Awards & Recognition
- 2025Saatchi Art Top 25 Emerging Artists
- 2025Wallace Seymour Award
- 2020First Place, Tehran District 5 Painting Competition, Tehran, Iran
05Selected Collaborations
- 2025–Present1838 Collective, Manchester, United Kingdom
06Media Recognition
- 2026Corridor8 — Sad Music You Can Dance To: On Yasaman Mollasalehi
- 2026ILNA — A Voice Calls You Home
07Teaching Experience
- 2019–2023Private Tutor, Drawing and Still Life Painting, Tehran, Iran