Image by Farah Al Qasimi
Dr. Sadia Shirazi has been appointed as a new Canada Research Chair, recognizing their work in the history of South Asian art, architecture, and visual culture, with a focus on trans-regional connections across South Asia, the Indian Ocean, and its diasporas.
The Canada Research Chairs Program elevates Canadian universities to world-class research centers by fostering research excellence and training the next generation of skilled professionals. Chairholders contribute to advancing knowledge, improving quality of life, and strengthening Canada’s global competitiveness.
Dr. Sadia Shirazi
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in History of South Asian Art, Architecture, and Visual Culture; Assistant Professor at the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory
Sadia is a scholar, writer, and curator whose work engages with modern and contemporary art and architecture through a trans-regional lens, focusing on South Asia, the Indian Ocean, and its diasporas. Formerly Curator of International Art at Tate Modern, she has held roles as a Visiting Scholar and American Council of Learned Societies Postdoctoral Fellow in Transnational Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins University. They taught Curatorial Studies at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program.
Sadia holds a PhD in Art History and Visual Studies from Cornell University and an MArch from MIT. Their essays and art criticism have appeared in leading publications such as Panorama, e-flux, and Frieze. A recipient of the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant, their current book project examines decolonial, feminist art through the journeys of four artists across the Indian subcontinent, Indian Ocean, Japan, Europe, and the United States during the latter half of the twentieth century.
Sadia has exhibited work at Arika, the 16th Venice Architecture Biennial, and the Devi Art Foundation, and is developing an audio documentary and counter-archive of The 02020 Project for Performance Space New York. As an independent curator, they have organized exhibitions and programs at The Kitchen, Queens Museum, EFA Project Space, and Khoj International Artists’ Association. Sadia has also served on juries, including for the Jameel Prize.
