Shirazeh Houshiary was born in Shiraz, Iran in 1955. She left for London in 1974 and studied at the Chelsea School of Art (currently Chelsea College of Art and Design). She first garnered international attention in the 1980s through her sculptural work, which earned her a Turner Prize nomination in 1994. Since then, her practice has swelled to encompass paintings, installation works, architectural projects, and film. She lives and works in London.