Ali Güreli is an entrepreneur, cultural leader and founder and chairman of Contemporary Istanbul, one of the region’s leading contemporary art fairs. For over two decades, he has championed Istanbul as a global hub for artistic exchange, bringing together artists, institutions, collectors and international audiences. Working at the intersection of art, culture and urban development, Güreli brings valuable insight into the role of creativity in fostering dialogue, shaping cultural identity and building connections across borders.
Anders Petterson is the founder and CEO of ArtTactic Ltd, a London-based art market research and analysis company established in 2001. A pioneer in using crowd-sourcing techniques to gather art market intelligence, ArtTactic publishes global reports in collaboration with partners including Deloitte, Hiscox, Mishcon de Reya, Sophie Macpherson SML, and Sotheby’s. Anders regularly lectures on art market topics at Sotheby’s Institute, Christie’s Education, and ESA Beirut, and served as a founding board member of PAIAM from 2011 to 2021.
Chimere Cissé is an art collector and founder with over a decade of experience in the cultural sector. She launched ArtKōrero in 2021 to connect commercial engagement with the arts and recently founded STELLA Alliance to increase the visibility of women art collectors. Previously, she represented the United Nations International Trade Centre and held senior roles at Burberry, Hearst UK, Harper’s Bazaar, and ELLE. Dedicated to philanthropy, she actively supports global charities including the British Council and Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation, where she is a long-standing committee chair.
Divya Sharma is a London-based British Indian textile artist and an alumna of the Royal College of Art, London. Her practice brings together myth, memory, and the cultural world of her mother tongue, Tamil. She was recently awarded the Visual Artists Association International Scholarship Award for 2025. She has conceived and curated five shows as founder of The Neulinge Collective and the Post-Colonials Collective. She is also the founder and host of the ARTiculate podcast and broadcasts on Apple Podcasts.
Dr. Shwetal Patel is a writer and researcher working at the intersection of contemporary visual art, exhibition-making, and development studies. A founding member of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, he played a key role in launching the initiative and building its international partnerships. He holds a practice-based PhD from the Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, and lectures internationally at institutions such as the Zürich University of the Arts, the Royal College of Art, and the University of Exeter. He also serves as trustee for the Milton Keynes Museum, Coventry Biennial, and the Kakar Centre of Psychoanalysis & Culture.
Jeffrey Boloten is Director of Art Business and Enterprise Programmes at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He co-founded and serves as Managing Director of ArtInsight Ltd., the educational partner of art market research firm ArtTactic. With a background in law, publishing (including Penguin Books), and institutional roles at the Tate and a London art college, Jeffrey is a frequent speaker on the global art, photography, and art investment markets. He also co-directs Sotheby’s Enterprise Studio and is a founding member of PAIAM (Professional Advisors to the International Art Market).
Leo Crane is a producer, artist and educator with over 25 years of experience across physical and digital creative industries. He has founded three creative studios and in 2024, established the AI Film Academy, focusing on innovation in contemporary moving image practice. He leads courses in art and art business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and serves on the board of Animate Projects. His artistic practice spans animated film, figurative painting and experimental digital works, and his work has been widely exhibited, screened and awarded internationally. He is currently producing his debut feature film The Masterpiece of Tamagata, and is the author of Contemporary Figures in Watercolour (2021).
Mark Davy is the founder of Futurecity, a multidisciplinary agency dedicated to culture-driven placemaking. He has led private sector investment in major art projects including the Crossrail Culture Line, the Illuminated River Project, and the cultural strategy for Wembley Park. Mark is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and contributes to several boards and panels, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Advisory Panel, Hypha Studios, the Land Economic Society, the NLA Expert Panel for Culture, and the National Trust Regional Advisory Group.
Marta Orsola Sironi is a curator and critic based between Milan and London. She is co-founder and curator of MEGA Art Fair, which reimagines the art fair as an immersive, curated experience activating regenerated urban spaces with exhibitions, performances, talks, and music. Together with Mauro Mattei, she co-directs BeAdvisors Art Department, producing curated shows, cultural events, and collectors’ programmes across international art calendars. Her research focuses on decolonial feminism, identity, language, and memory, with a strong interest in urban space as a site of resistance.
Nicole Schoeni is an art dealer, collector, patron, and founder of Schoeni Projects. Previously, Nicole was the director of Schoeni Art Gallery, one of Asia's most influential art venues. Nicole has since curated the Hong Kong section of the China 8 exhibition and has consulted on arts projects such as for the Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau. She is an active patron of numerous foundations, is on the advisory team for Arts for Good Foundation, and sits on the Board of Directors of Asian Art in London.
Portuguese visual artist Paulo Arraiano explores the intersections of art, culture, nature, and technology through a multidisciplinary practice. He is co-founder of Re_Act Contemporary, an international art laboratory and residency programme based in the Azores that fosters dialogue between artists, researchers, and communities around pressing ecological, social, and cultural issues. Arraiano offers a distinctive perspective on the role of art in shaping how we understand and engage with a rapidly changing world. Portfolio
Rena Neville is Director of Corinth Consulting Ltd and Head of FCS Compliance Art Division. With over 30 years at Sotheby’s, she was the company’s first Global Compliance Director and previously served as European General Counsel and Global Head of Litigation. Today, she advises the art market on anti-money laundering compliance and is a frequent speaker on the subject, including recent talks at Harvard Law School and the Art Business Conference in Maastricht during TEFAF.
Roxane Zand is a Harvard and Oxford educated specialist in Middle Eastern art and culture. After three years at UNESCO and roles at the Iran Heritage Foundation and Asia House, she joined Sotheby’s in 2006 as Director for the Middle East and Gulf, rising to Deputy Chairman and Senior Director, before stepping down in 2020 to lead her own art advisory consultancy. She continues to serve as Arts Editor for the Encyclopaedia Islamica, advises through the Pictet Art Prize Advisory Council, and has authored several publications, including Geometry and Art: In the Modern Middle East.
Sigrid Kirk is a curator, adviser, and strategist who co-founded the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA) in 2016. AWITA brings together women working across the arts sector through mentoring, collaboration, and a shared community. In addition, each year Kirk and her husband collaborate with Te Tuhi Gallery in Auckland to help fund an artist residency at Yorkshire Sculpture Park for Māori and Pacific Island artists. The couple are also patrons of Dundee Contemporary Arts,  Fruitmarket Gallery, Gasworks, Studio Voltaire, Iniva, and Goldsmiths CCA.
Sylwia Krason is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Lynx Magazine, an international arts publication and organisation based in London. Since 2013, she has connected bold artistic voices with global audiences, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe and emerging markets. She is also President of the Contemporary Lynx Foundation in Warsaw and regularly serves as a juror and panel moderator at major international art events, including Art Basel. Trained in art history and arts management in Kraków, Berlin, and London, she is currently based in Paris.
Ulrich Schrauth is a curator, artist, and creative director of UBS Digital Art Museum in Hamburg. Schrauth is also the founder of VRHAM! Biennale, shaping new ways of presenting and experiencing digital Art. Working between Hamburg and London, he also heads the Immersive Programme at the British Film Institute (BFI) and serves on the British Council’s Advisory Board for Arts and Creative Economy. In addition, he curates the digital section of Art Dubai, the premier international art fair for digital media. Ulrich is a jury member for prestigious awards such as the Lumen Prize and the Fedora Digital Art Prize, and is a regular speaker at major events including the Venice Biennale, SXSW, and the Cannes Film Festival. Portfolio

Artvoyagebiennial

APPLY 2026
Navbar with Active Underline
Become A Friend
Summit 2025
Edit Content
Menu
My Cart
Back
Instagram Twitter Linkedin
Heart

ARTIST

Elham Shafaei

1983

Rasht, Iran

Elham Shafaei (b. 1983) is an Iranian artist and curator currently based in the United Arab Emirates. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Painting from the School of Arts at the University of Science and Culture in Tehran, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Elham’s work and research focus on experimental processes, exploring diverse mediums such as painting, papermaking, photography, installation, textile art, sound, and video art to express her concepts. Her artistic practice often delves into human existential conditions, including themes of loneliness, emptiness, and freedom. Additionally, she explores the connections between these themes and ideas of home, memory, displacement, and diaspora.

In addition to her artistic practice, Elham is the Co-Founder and Co-Editor of ContemporaryIdentities, an international online art magazine. She is also a curator and art mentor at Nexus Artspace.

We Are Lost

Mixed media on primed & un-primed canvas - 2018-19

The Philosophy of Food

Photography and Bread-Installation - 2022

Toys Are We

Mixed media on canvas, Soft sculpture - 2019-20

We, Time, Place

Stitch on Un-Primed Canvas - 2023

Highlights

Award

2020     Received Art Jameel’s Research and Practice Programme | Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2014     2nd Place Winner (Painting) | ASEAN and National Thai Artists’ Art Creation Journey, “Artist Heritage of Southern Thailand”, University of Taksin, Songkla, Thailand

2016     Selected as International Alumni for the “Success Story Book” | USM, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Solo Exhibitions

‘No Introduction’ | KoArt Gallery, Catania, Italy

‘Open Books’ | Pennant Place Outdoor Gallery, Gainesville, Florida, USA

2019     ‘We Are Lost’ | Saye Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

2016     ‘Museum dan Galeri Tuanku Fauziah’ | Penang, Malaysia

2016     ‘Galeri Seni Mutiara’ | Penang, Malaysia

2015     ‘Run Amok Gallery’ | Penang, Malaysia

2012     ‘Handmade-Art Paper Exhibition’ | Adiwarna Gallery, Penang, Malaysia

2007     ‘Parvin Gallery’ | Rasht, Iran

Group Exhibitions

2024      Group Exhibition | H.A.T Projects, 379 Gallerie, Nancy, France

2024      Group Exhibition | KoArt Gallery, Catania, Italy

2024      Group Exhibition, Curated by Christiana Bonin | XVA Gallery, Dubai, UAE

2024      Group Art Exhibition, They Are Watching, Curated by Elham Shafaei | Gallery 25, ECU Galleries, Perth, WA, Australia

2024      Duet Exhibition, Threads of Existence with Sara Al Haddad | Aisha Al Abbar Gallery, Dubai, UAE

2023      Group Art Exhibition, Collaborative Exhibition with Richard Bernstein Foundation | HVAR, Croatia, August

2023      Group Art Exhibition, Made in Tashkeel | Tashkeel Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE

2023      Online Art Exhibition, The Philosophy of Friendship, Curated by ContemporaryIdentities Online Art Magazine | i.e. Art Projects Online Art Foundation and KoArt Gallery

2023      Group Art Exhibition, An Inch Thick, Curated by Morrow Collective | The Upside Space, Metaverse

2022      Group Art Exhibition, Off NFT NYC, Curated by Choen Lee | Metaverse

2022      International Biennial of Miniature ART (BIAMT), I Save the World Today | West University of Timisoara, Romania

2022      Group Art Exhibition, Sistema Naturæ #2 | Catania, Italy

2022      Group Art Exhibition, Sistema Naturæ #1 | Catania, Italy

2022      Group Art Exhibition, Philosophy of Food | Tashkeel Studio, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE

2022      Group Art Exhibition, Sensoria, School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia Fine Arts Department Exhibition | Museum dan Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, Penang, Malaysia

2021      Group Art Exhibition, Works from the Studio, Anniversary Exhibition of the CI Team | Virtual Exhibition at ContemporaryIdentities Online Art Gallery

2020-21     Group Art Exhibition, Covid Conversations | Tashkeel Studio, Tashkeel Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE

2020      2nd Puppet Group Exhibition (Online) | Honaragah Online Gallery, Iran

2020      Online Group Art Exhibition | Gallery Lane Cove, NSW, Australia

2020      Group Art Exhibition, Plastic, 40th SIKKA Art Fair, Represented by Tashkeel Studio | Tashkeel Al Fahidi, Dubai, UAE

2019      Group Art Exhibition, Made in Tashkeel | Tashkeel Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE

2019      Group Painting Exhibition, Self-Sufficient | 7Samar Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

2019      Sikka 39th Art Fair, House of Failure, Represented by Tashkeel | Tashkeel House No. 10, Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Dubai, UAE

2019      Group Art Exhibition, January Blues, High Hopes on the Low Slopes of the New Year | The Old Church, Stock Newington, London, UK

2018      International Nature Image Festival (FIIN), Nature and Science Drawing Exhibition | Theater of Vila Real, Portugal

2018      Cow Illustration Biennale | Dnipro City Central Library, Dnipro, Ukraine

2018      Group Art Exhibition, Satu: Creative Collective Art Foundation | May Bank Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2017      Group Art Exhibition, Department of Culture and Heritage | Menarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, UAE

2017      Sharjah Vantage Point. 5 | Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE

2017      Exhibition of the Year for Iran Painters Association Members | Pardis Mellat, Tehran, Iran

2016      3rd Research Expo, Members of Association of Iranian Artist Under 40 | Khane Honarmandan Iran (Iranian Artist House), Tehran, Iran

2016      Group Drawing Exhibition, School of Art and Design, University of Dhaka | Bangladesh

2016      Group Art Exhibition, Hin Bus Depot Art Centre | Penang, Malaysia

2016      Group Art Exhibition, Art Colony Cered | Hungary

2016      Duet Exhibition with Farhad Farkhian | Tuanku Fauziah Museum & Gallery, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

2015      International Arts Exhibition 2015 to Glorify the 5th Cycle Birthday Anniversary of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhhorn | PSU Art Gallery (Arts and Cultural Center), Songkla, Thailand

2014      International Print Ex-Change | Shang Kun Luo Qi Museum of International Modern Art, Hangzhou, China

2010      Group Exhibition of Painters Association | Khane Honarmandan Iran (Iranian Artist’s House), Tehran, Iran

2008      Group Exhibition of Painters Association | Niyavaran Culture House, Tehran, Iran

2007      2nd Exhibition of National Painting Institutes | Niyavaran Culture House, Tehran, Iran

2005      4th Islamic World Painting Exhibition | Academy of Art (Saba), Tehran, Iran

Residencies

2023     International Contemporary Art Colony Cered, Virtual Artist Residency | Hungary

2020     International Contemporary Art Colony Cered, Virtual Artist Residency | Hungary

2019     Aria Residency | Tehran, Iran

2018     The Pickers’ Hut @ Glaziers Bay | Tasmania, Australia

2016     International Contemporary Art Colony Cered | Hungary

Scroll to Top