Ali Tahayori Wins 2025 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging)

Ali Tahayori has been awarded the 2025 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging), receiving $30,000 to undertake a self-directed program to develop his professional practice at this pivotal stage in his career.

Selected from six shortlisted finalists including Ellen Ferrier, Ellie Hannon, Ali Noble, Vedika Rampal and Joel Sherwood Spring, Tahayori was announced as the winner at the official exhibition launch at Artspace, Sydney.

The 2025 Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) exhibition, curated by Sarah Rose, Associate Curator and Executive Assistant at Artspace, showcases works by all six shortlisted artists. The exhibition represents a breadth of conceptual and material explorations, offering insight into how emerging artists are pushing boundaries and engaging with critical contemporary ideas.

The judging panel, comprising Victor Wang (Executive Director, Artspace), Gillian Kayrooz (2024 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship Emerging recipient), and Emily Rolfe (Curator, Contemporary Visual Art, Campbelltown Arts Centre), praised Tahayori’s ambitious practice exploring desire, intimacy and belonging.

“The panel was impressed by Ali Tahayori’s ambitious practice, which explores desire, intimacy and belonging,” the panel said. “The fellowship provides him with an important opportunity to work in close proximity to his homeland of Iran and creates the space for reflection, research, and network development.”

Artspace Executive Director Victor Wang highlighted Tahayori’s distinctive contribution to contemporary art: “Tahayori contributes a distinctive and tender voice to contemporary art, engaging themes of grief, loss, and the widely felt condition of unbelonging. The Fellowship is designed to offer meaningful support at a formative moment.”

Create NSW Executive Director Kerri Glasscock congratulated all participants, noting the program’s reputation for launching careers and building a strong community of NSW visual arts professionals.

The Fellowship has previously supported notable recipients including Morgan Hogg (2023), Eddie Abd (2022), Dennis Golding (2020), Shivanjani Lal (2019), and Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran (2014), among others.

Applications for the 2026 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) program open on Monday 25 August and close Tuesday 7 October at 5pm (AEST).

The exhibition featuring all six finalists remains on display at Artspace, offering visitors an opportunity to engage with the diverse and exciting talent of NSW’s emerging artists.