BIO
Zuhal Feraidon is an artist born in Afghanistan, who immigrated to the United States as a refugee of war in 2005. She received her undergraduate degrees in Studio Arts and Biology from The University of Virginia (UVA) and her MFA in Painting from The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Her artistic interest is concerned with social identity and the politics of representation. Zuhal’s work focuses on resilience, strength, and survival in response to the circumstance of war and resistance against gender-based violence.
ZUHAL FERAIDON CV
zuhalferaidon@gmail.com
EDUCATION
MFA Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Painting Department, Providence, RI, USA
BA University of Virginia (UVA), Studio Art and Biology majors, Charlottesville, VA, USA
RESIDENCIES
2016-2017 Aunspaugh Residency Program at Ruffin Hall, UVA, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Fellows receive a stipend, research funds, and a private studio space for the year. They participate in an
advanced seminar, interact with visiting artists, and have a culminating exhibition at the end of the year.
EXHIBITION RECORD
2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Exhibition, NATO, The Hague, Netherlands
Stories of Water, Stories in Water, Rock Paper Scissors Collective, San Francisco, CA, USA
Constant Practice, Brooks Stevens Gallery, Milwaukee, WI, USA
2024 Skeleton Pants, Soloway Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Tears Shaped Like Watermelon Seeds, Hawthorn Contemporary Gallery, Milwaukee, WI, USA
2023 TWO - Person: Dancing on Myth’s Stage, Hawthorn Contemporary Gallery, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Here & Now, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee, WI, USA
2022 Kids of Resilient, Mayten’s Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2021 MIAD Faculty Exhibition, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee, WI, USA
AICAD Fellow Exhibition, Joyce Bliss Art Gallery, Carroll University, Waukesha, WI, USA
2020 Fragmented Futures, Glendale Central Library, Glendale, CA, USA
2019 Monya Rowe Gallery, New York, NY, USA
HomeY, Red Eye Gallery, Providence, RI, USA
Smear Frames, Design Center, Providence, RI, USA
Graduate Thesis Exhibition, Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI, USA
2018 Expectations, Field Projects Gallery, New York, NY, USA
RISD Painting Graduate Biennial Exhibition, Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI, USA
2017 SOLO: OmniPresent, Aunspaugh Exhibition, The Ruffin Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, USA
TWO - Person: Zuhal Feraidon & Kemi Layeni, The Ruffin Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Past Meets Present, Aunspaugh Exhibition, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
2016 SOLO: Peace Doves, New City Arts Exhibition, The Welcome Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, USA
The Dangerous Women Project, The Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Scotland, UK
Yard Dreams, Yard Space, Charlottesville, VA, USA
2015 SOLO: The IX Art Park Levitt Amp Music Series, IX Art Park Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Balkh University Visiting Artist Exhibition, Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh, Afghanistan
FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS
2025 Ruth Arts + MIAD Artist Grant, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Milwaukee, WI, USA
2024 Suitcase Export Fund for Visual Art, Mary L. Nohl Foundation, Milwaukee, WI, USA
2022 Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design Teaching Fellowship, USA and Canada
2019 Graduate Commons Grant, RISD, Providence, RI, USA
2018 The Rhode Island School of Design Teaching Fellowship, RISD, Providence, RI, USA
2017 The Rhode Island School of Design Graduate Studies Fellowship, RISD, Providence, RI, USA
INVITED TALKS
2025 RISE Artist Presentation and Q&A Panel Discussion, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,
NATO Communication & Information Agency, The Hague, Netherlands
2023 Arts in Context, RISD Graduate Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design, Providence, RI, USA
2021 Qatar America Institute for Culture, IMPART Summit, Washington DC, USA
2020 United Nations (UNITAR) Presentation for Women Forward International, Washington DC, USA
2019 2D Fine Arts Faculty Artist Lecture, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA, USA
2016 Lorna Sundberg International Center Artist Talk, Charlottesville, VA, USA
WVTF & Radio IQ Artist Radio Interview, New City Arts, Charlottesville, VA, USA
PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
2025 Dinh, A., 2025. PGTF@10: Showcasing the Remarkable Achievements of the Artists, Designers, Scholars, and
Educators of the Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Pratt Institute: pg. 57
2021 Shaw, J., & Fletcher-Watson, B.,2021. The Art of Being Dangerous: Exploring Women and Danger through
Creative Expression. Leuven: Leuven University Press: pg. 101-102
MAGAZINES
2026 Issue 3, Triple3 Magazine, Milwaukee, WI, USA, January 2026
2019 “Meaning of Intersectional Feminism” RISD Feminists Collective, Providence, RI, USA
2017 “Unafraid” Illimitable Magazine, Volume 4, UVA, Charlottesville, VA, USA
ONLINE
2025 “Memory Archive for Listening Station” Stories of Water, Stories in Water, online publication and installation at Rock Paper Scissors Collective, Oakland, CA, USA, July 2025.
https://aqueousmemoryarchive.com/zuhal-feraidon/
2016 “New City Arts Asks: Zuhal Feraidon” New City Arts, Charlottesville, VA, USA
https://newcityarts.org/calendar/zuhal-feraidon--peace-doves/new-city-arts-asks--zuhal-feraidon
“A Dangerous Woman: UVA Artist Calls Attention to Plight of Afghan women” University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA, USA
https://news.virginia.edu/content/dangerous-woman-uva-artist-calls-attention-plight-afghan-women
“The Dangerous Women Project” The Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
http://www.dangerouswomenproject.org/2016/08/24/2838/