BIOGRAPHY
b. 1969, New York, USA
Dahlia Elsayed combines text and imagery to create visually narrative paintings that document internal and external geographies. Her work, influenced by conceptual art, comics, and landscape painting, is informed by autobiography and environment, to create illustrated documents of place and experience.
Her paintings, prints and artist books have been shown at galleries and art institutions throughout the United States and internationally, including exhibitions at the 12th Cairo Biennale, BravinLee Programs, Clementine Gallery and the Jersey City Museum. Her work is in the public collections of the US Department of State, Johnson & Johnson Corporation, The Jersey City Museum, Zimmerli Art Museum, Hunterdon Museum of Art, Noyes Museum of Art, Montclair Art Museum, Newark Public Library, New Jersey State Museum, and Morris Museum. A large number of her works were commissioned for the permanent collection of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York. Dahlia has received awards from the Edward Albee Foundation, Visual Studies Workshop, The Newark Museum, ArtsLink, The Dodge Foundation, Women's Studio Workshop, Headlands Center for the Arts,The NJ State Council on the Arts and most recently a grant from The Joan Mitchell Foundation.
She received her MFA from Columbia University, and lives and works in New Jersey.
EDUCATION
Columbia University School of the Arts, MFA Creative Writing, 1994
Barnard College, BA English, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1992
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011
Perennial Bloom, BravinLee Programs, Artist Book Program, New York, NY
The Sticky Parts, South Seattle Community College, Seattle, WA
Possibles, Probables, Ice House Gallery, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ
2010
Orienteering, Palace of Fine Arts, 12th Cairo Biennale, Cairo, Egypt
...And Then Some, Aljira Center For Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ
All Of It, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ
In Honor Of, Princeton Arts Council, Princeton NJ
2008
For The Realization of Every Wish..., Crybaby Gallery/City of Asbury Park, outdoor public art installation
2006
Periphery, Portlock Black Cultural Center, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
2005
New Work, Clementine Gallery, New York, NY (two person show)
New Prints, Women's Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY
2004
Talk Back, Laznia Centre for Contemporary Art, Gdansk, Poland
2003
Johnson & Johnson Corporate Art Gallery, NJ
Monuments of Her Last Year, The Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ
2002
Armenian Library and Museum of America, Watertown, MA
2000
Gallery Of South Orange, South Orange, NJ
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011
The Art of Mapping, TAG Fine Arts, London, UK
Cartographic, Larissa Goldston Gallery, New York, NY
Mapping, Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington DC
2010
You Are Here: The Psychogeography of the City, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, NYC, NY
Guggenheim You Tube Play, shortlist, Guggenheim Museum, NYC, NY
It's Personal, Tomasulo Gallery, Union County College, Union, NJ
1001: The Narrative Tradition in Middle Eastern Art, William Paterson University Galleries, Wayne, NJ
2009
Tectonic, Seton Hall University, Newark, NJ
Kuf-Mold-Rotterdam, A-Locatie Gallery, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Unbounded: New Art for a New Century, The Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
Flow: Art/Text/New Media, Center for Book Arts, New York, NY
2008
Kuf-Mold-Ghent, (site-specific installation) Gallery Jan Colle, Ghent, Belgium
Garden of Delights, Yeosu International Art Festival, South Korea
Orebro Video Art Festival, Orebro Kunsthall, Sweden
The Stories We Tell: Screening, Art in General, New York, NY
Return Home, Robeson Center for the Arts, Princeton, NJ
Sprawl, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ
2007
Noah's Ark, Shore Institute for Contemporary Art, Long Branch, NJ
Desideratum, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
Under_Construction in Venice, curated byBarbara Höffer, Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni, Venice, Italy
Sculpt-tour, Shore Institute for Contemporary Art, Long Branch, NJ
Personal Inventory, Dowling College, Oakdale, NY
Receipts, Redsaw Gallery, Newark, NJ
2006
Personal Geographies, Hunter College Times Sq. Gallery, New York, NY
Science as Muse, Montgomery Center for the Arts, Skillman, NJ
Drawing Stage, curated by E. Carmen Ramos, CWOW, Newark, NJ
Glossollalia, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
100 NJ Artists Make Prints, traveling exhibition, Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper, Rutgers University, NJ
Monumental, Victory Hall, Jersey City, NJ
NJSCA Fellowship Exhibition, NJ State Museum, Trenton, NJ
Knots, NJ City State University Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
RCIPP Fellowship Exhibition, Mason Gross Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ
2005
Between Art and Life, Adrian College, Adrian, MI
Viewfinder, Moti Hasson Gallery, New York, NY
NJ Arts Annual, curated by Beth Venn, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
Scope Art Hamptons, South Hampton, NY
Six Degrees of Separation, Black Maria Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Emerge Six, curated by Lilly Wei, Aljira, Newark NJ
Girl Talk, The Garage, Jersey City, NJ
Weird New Jersey, Here Arts Center, New York, NY
2004
Anthro/Socio, The Artist’s Network Gallery, New York, NY
Phantom Limb, Unit B Gallery, Chicago, IL
Starring…, Gerber Seid Fine Art, New York, NY
Drawings, curated by Edsel Williams, The Green Barn, Sagaponack, NY
The Crystal Land, curated by Raul Zamudio, Aljira, Newark NJ
Synopsis 10, Pierro Gallery, South Orange, NJ
Unveiling the Image, NJ Center for Visual Art, Summit NJ
2003
Modelarnia, Gdansk, Poland
2002
Arvest 2002 Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles CA
3rd International Gyumri Biennial, Armenia
Center for Contemporary and Experimental Art, Yerevan, Armenia
Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago, IL
The Ritz Carlton Hotel Battery Park, New York, NY (130 works commissioned for their permanent collection)
NJ Fine Arts Annual, The Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ
2001
Locust Projects, Miami, FL
ArtReach: The Exhibition, City Without Walls, Newark, NJ
When Two Become One, City Without Walls, Newark, NJ
2000
Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ
Women Metal Artists: Pen & Brush, New York, NY
4PLY Cooperative Exhibition, New York, NY
1999
Passion, Richard Anderson Fine Arts, New York, NY
American Sentences: Union City, NJ
New Members Show: City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ
United Arts Council: Naples, Florida
1998
The Metro Show: City Without Walls Gallery, Newark, NJ
National Book Arts Show II: Fine Arts Center, Taos, NM
Image/Mileage: Union City, NJ
1997
Union Hill Studios-Group Show: Union City, NJ
1996
Open Book IV: Art & The Written Word, New York, NY
1995
Open Book III: Art & The Written Word, New York, NY
1994
Women of Steel: San Francisco, California
Open Book II: Art & The Written Word, New York, NY
GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES
2008
Anderson Ranch Residency, Snowmass Village, CO
2007
Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painters and Sculptors
2005
Artist Fellowship, Rutgers Center for Innovative Printmaking, NJ
Artist in Residence, Headlands Center for The Arts, Sausalito CA
2004
NJ State Council on the Arts, Individual Artist Fellowship
Artist in Residence, Women's Studio Workshop, Rosendale NY
Artist in Residence, The Newark Museum
Creative Capital Professional Development Workshop
Emerge 6 Program, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art
2003
ArtsLink Grant for Individual Artists
Artist in Residence, Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
Artist Teacher Institute Scholarship Grant, William Paterson University, NJ
2002
Artist in Residence, Center for Contemporary Art, Yerevan, Armenia
2001
ArtReach Education Program Grant, Newark NJ
1999
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Artist Fellowship
Artist in Residence, Edward Albee Foundation, Montauk NY
Geraldine R. Dodge Grant, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT
TEACHING, APPOINTMENTS, LECTURES
2010-2011
Faculty, Parsons, The New School University- Fine Arts, New York, NY
Lecturer, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ
2009
Faculty, Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art, Pont-Aven, France
Visiting Artist & Guest Lecturer, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
Visiting Artist & Guest Lecturer, Denver Metropolitan College, Denver, CO
Teaching Artist, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, New York, NY
Panelist, Unbounded: New Art for A New Century – Centennial Conversations, The Newark Museum, Newark NJ
Panelist, Flow: Art/Text/New Media, Center for Book Arts, New York, NY
2008
Artist in Residence & Guest Lecturer, NJ City University, Jersey City, NJ
Panelist, Bronx Museum of Art, AIM Program
Guest Lecturer, The Jersey City Museum, part of their series Introducing, lectures by contemporary artists
2007
Guest Lecturer, The Newark Historical Society, Newark, NJ
2006
Visiting Artist, The Allen-Stevenson School, New York, NY
2005
Visiting Artist, Adrian College, Adrian MI
Guest Lecturer, Princeton Adult School, Princeton, NJ
2004
Teaching Artist, Studio in a School
Teaching Artist, Rutgers Newark Master Class Workshops
Panelist, Well Served: Affirming a Proactive Relationship Between Artist and Community, The Foundation Center, New York
Teaching Artist, Newark Museum Education Program
Teaching Artist, NJ Center for Visual Arts
2003
Visiting Teaching Artist, City Lore, New York, NY
Visiting Teaching Artist, Institute for Arts and Humanities Education, NJ
Teaching Artist, Teaneck Community Education Program, NJ
2002
Guest Lecturer, Newark Museum of Art
Panelist, Feminist Perspectives, Jersey City Museum Art Talk series
2001
Teaching Artist, City without Walls Mentorship Program
Teaching Artist, Artist In Education Program, NJ
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2010
McGlone, Peggy, Ten NJ Artists Making a Difference in Their Craft, Inside Jersey Magazine, Dec 16, 2010, illus.
Wadvalla, Bibi-Aisha, Cairo Biennale Artists Question the Contemporary, The Daily News Egypt, Dec 13, 2010, illu.s
Bischoff, Dan, When The Real Becomes the Fantastic, The Star Ledger, Nov. 14, 2010, sec 4, pg 8, illus.
El Kouedi, Yousi, Art Review: Dahlia Elsayed, Al Aribaya, Nov. 7, 2010, illus.
2009
Harmon, Kitty, The Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography, Princeton Architectural Press
Genocchio, Benjamin "The Newark Museum at 100 Years Old," The New York Times, April 5, 2009
2007
Oweis, Fayeq, Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists, Greenwood Publishing Grp, 2007
Genocchio, Benjamin "Material Things, Catalogued," The New York Times, Jan. 28, 2007
2006
Lindenbaum, Joanna "Personal Geographies" Exhibition Catalogue, Nov. 2006
Genocchio, Benjamin "Knots, In Practice and Theory," The New York Times, March 19, 2006, sec NJ p.18
Wei, Lilly "On Locations," Aljira Emerge 6 Exhibition Catalogue, January 2006
2005
D’Aurizio, Elaine "Eye of the Beholder," The Record, March 20, 2005, sec L, pg 1-2, illus.
Venn, Beth "Place of Mind," Montclair Art Museum Exhibition Catalogue, 2005
Genocchio, Benjamin "The Oil Stain is Not Part of the Exhibit" The New York Times, March 6, 2005, sec NJ, illus.
Zamudio, Raul "The Crystal Land Revisited," Transcultural NJ: Diverse Artists Shaping Culture and Communities, Rutgers University Press, 2004 pp.94-100, illus.
2004
Genocchio, Benjamin "Images on a Transcultural Highway," The New York Times, December 12, 2004, sec NJ p.16
Bischoff, Dan "Crystal Clear Art from Jersey's Hyphenated Americans" Sunday Star-Ledger, November 7, 2004
Genocchio, Benjamin "Through a Global Prism," The New York Times, April 24, 2004, sec NJ p.9
2003
Berwick, Carly "How One Artist Filled the 'Holes' Known as New Jersey," The New York Times, April 27, 2003, sec NJ p.9
Zimmer, William "The Happy Marriage of Words and Pictures" The New York Times, February 9, 2003, sec. NJ p. 11, illus.
Bischoff, Dan "Her Words Decorate Time and Place" Sunday Star-Ledger, January 19, 2003, sec. 4 p. 6, illus.
Díaz, Junot "New Jersey, Mi Amor," Jan. 2002, Monuments of Her Last Year
Aranda, Rocío "Homelands", Jan. 2002, Monuments of Her Last Year
2002
Yogaratnam, Dilani "A Present Visiting the Past", Mirror-Spectator, September 28, 2002, p. 11, illus.
Khatoon, Aziza "Art Serves..." Via Dolorosa, July 2002, p.5, illus.
Wilford, Jeff "Art & Politics" The Journal Times, March 7, 2002 p. B1,4, illus.
Feliciano, Kristina "Battery Charged" New York Post, January 27, 2002 p. 50, illus.
2001
Turner, Elisa "As Reality Art..." The Miami Herald, Oct 6, 2001
2000
Bischoff, Dan "Those Who Can..." Star-Ledger, June 24, 2001 p.1
1994
Pandiscio, Richard "Ones to Watch", Interview, January 1994, p.44, illus.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
The Newark Museum
US Department of State - Art in Embassies
Johnson & Johnson Corporation
The Jersey City Museum
Zimmerli Art Museum
Hunterdon Museum of Art
Noyes Museum of Art
Montclair Art Museum
Newark Public Library
New Jersey State Museum
Morris Museum
New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The Ritz Carlton, Battery Park