Elyas Alavi is an Afghanistan-born Australian artist and poet whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, drawing, Installation and performance. His work draws on personal and collective histories of migration, exile and belonging, engaging with the political and cultural legacies of the South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. His recent paintings and drawings chart a subtle, queer history rooted in memory, while sculptural and photographic projects have explored the legacies of South Asian cameleers in Australia.

Alavi holds a Master of Visual Arts from the University of South Australia (2016) and a Master of Fine Arts from Chelsea College of Arts, University of London (2020).

He has been commissioned by a number of galleries, artist-run initiatives, and biennales, including the 24th Sydney Biennale, 3rd Lahore Biennale, 3rd Diriyah Bienanle, TarraWarra Biennale, Griffith University, West Space, 3rd Hyphenated Biennale, TarraWara Bienale, ACE Gallery, Granville Arts Centre, Next Wave, Nexus, POP, and UTS.

Alavi has published three poetry collections, earning critical acclaim and winning several prestigious literary awards, including the International Peace Poetry Prize in Tajikistan (2012), the Annual Reporters Poetry Prize in Tehran (2009), the Young Poets Book of the Year in Iran (2008), and the Afghan Young Poets Prize (2007). His poetry has been translated into English, Greek, Urdu, Kurdish, and Spanish, and has appeared in prominent publications such as World Literature Today (University of Oklahoma) and the PARSE Journal (University of Gothenburg).

Artist CV

Education

2020 Master of Fine Arts, Chelsea College of Arts, University of London

2016 Master of Visual Arts, University of South Australia

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2026 Face to Face, Futures Gallery, Melbourne

2025 The Traveler of Fate, La Trobe Art Institute, Bendigo

2024 ALAM, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney

2024 That I Could Fear a Door, MUSMA Museum, Matera, Italy

2023 Another Kind, Gertrude Contemporary Glasshouse, Melbourne

2022 Not Just a Shadow, POP Gallery, Adelaide

2019 Daydreamer Wolf (stage 2), ACE, Adelaide

2018 Daydreamer Wolf (stage 1), Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney

2017 Rag/Vein, Mohsen Gallery, Tehran

2017 We Die So That, Nexus Arts Gallery, Adelaide

2016 HALAL, Fontanelle Gallery, Adelaide

Selected Biennials

2026 In Interludes and Transitions, 3rd Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia

2024 Of Mountains and Seas, Lahore Biennale 03, curated by John Tain, Lahore, Pakistan

2024 24th Biennale of Sydney: Ten Thousand Suns, UNSW Galleries, Sydney, Australia

2023 TarraWarra Biennial 2023, curated by Dr Léuli Eshrāghi, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville, VIC, Australia

2022 Hyphenated Biennial, curated by Hyphenated Projects, The Substation, VIC, Australia

Selected Group Exhibitions

2026 Ham Sāya Kouh Hā: By the Mountain’s Shade, Galerie Eric Mouchet, Paris, France

2025 Under the Blue Sky, Casula Powerhouse, NSW

2025 Ruh Alruh/Jan-e Jannan, West Space, VIC

2025 Heavy Body, Counihan Gallery, VIC

2023 Let the Bād Speak, curated by Exo Art Lab, Fondazione 107, Torino, Italy

2022 Destiny Disrupted, Griffith University Gallery, Brisbane

2022 Destiny Disrupted, Granville Centre Art Gallery, NSW

2022 67th Blake Prize Finalist Exhibition, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, NSW

2022 An Obstinate Prophet, performance at the Neoteric exhibition, SA

2021 Constance ARI, as part of Mona Foma Festival, Hobart

2021 Cameleers, as part of Hyphenated Biennial, Footscray Arts Centre, VIC

2020 FIELD NOTES, Sauerbier House Gallery, South Australia

2020 Felt Exchange, collaboration with Yusuf Hayat, Felt Space, Adelaide

2019 A Desolate Voice, M. Contemporary, Sydney

2019 Tele-Tales, Robert Kananaj Gallery, Toronto

2019 Pretty Ugly, Cookhouse Gallery, London

2017 The Invisible, UTS Gallery, Sydney

2017 Nimrouz, Niyavaran Art Gallery, Tehran

2017 Home Thoughts from Abroad, Praxis Gallery

2016 Jugglers Art Space Inc., Brisbane

Residencies

2026 Debra Porch Award Residency, SAC Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand

2023 Jersey Arts Residency, Jersey, UK

2023 Gertrude Contemporary Studio Residency, Melbourne

2022 Hyphenated Projects, Melbourne

2021 Sauerbier House Residency (three months), South Australia

2020 ED Tweddell Studio Residency, Central Studio, Adelaide

Selected Awards, Grants and Fellowships

2026 Artbank Prize finalist

2026 Darebin Art Prize finalist

2026 Debra Porch Award, Creative Australia

2025 International Engagement Grant, Creative Australia

2025 Berry Family Fellowship, State Library Victoria, Melbourne

2024 Project Grant, Creative Victoria

2024 68th Blake Prize finalist

2024 Incinerator Art Award: Art for Social Change finalist

2023 VACS Major Projects, Creative Australia

2022 South Australia Governor’s Multicultural Award, Arts and Culture category, winner

2022 67th Blake Prize finalist

2022 Australia Council for the Arts Project Grant for TarraWarra Biennial

2021 Best Visual Art & Design Award, Adelaide Fringe Festival, for curating CONTACT

2021 Guildhouse & FUMA Collection Project, Flinders University Museum of Art

2020 Arts SA Fellowship for a project presented as part of Hyphenated Biennial

2020 Catapult Program recipient, Guildhouse, Adelaide

2019 Anne & Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarship

2017 The Queer Art Prize Australia, Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne

Book Publications

2015 Hodood (Borders), poetry and drawing book, Nimaj Publisher, Tehran

2012 Bazi Zakhmha (Some Wounds), drawing and poetry book, Kabul

2010 I’m a Day-dreamer Wolf, fifth edition published in 2016, Tehran

Selected Curatorial Projects

2026 Chogh / چوغ (Thread), Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Melbourne, VIC

2024 REESHA/Roots, Blindside Gallery, Melbourne

2022 TIMELESS, Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Hawke Centre, University of South Australia

2021 CONTACT, Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Adelaide, winner of the Adelaide Fringe Festival Best Visual Art & Design Award

2019 Cultivate, Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Adelaide

2017 Fly Away, Nexus Arts Gallery, Adelaide

2015 MARZHA/Borders, Nexus Arts Gallery, Adelaide

Teaching Experience

2026 Artist Mentor, visual arts mentorship program for young Afghan women artists, online

2017–2022 Art Facilitator, Neami National, a mental health organisation, Adelaide

2017 Artist in School Residency, DreamBIG Children’s Festival

2017 Pom Pom, Carclew, Elizabeth, Adelaide

2016 DreamBIG Children’s Festival

2016 Art workshops, STTARS (Survivors of Torture & Trauma Assistance & Rehabilitation Service)