Abdullah M. I. Syed (b. 1974) is a Pakistani-born contemporary artist living and working between Sydney, Karachi and New York. Trained in diverse disciplines, Syed utilizes a variety of mediums and techniques including sculpture, video installations, drawing, performance and text to investigate collisions between art, religion, economy and politics.

Syed earned a PhD in Art, Media and Design (2015) and a Master of Fine Arts (2009) from University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He also holds a Bachelor of Art in Design (1999) and a Master of Education (2001) from University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma, U.S.A. Syed’s work has been featured in ten solo exhibitions and several national and international curated group exhibitions and performance events such Time of Change, ACE Open, Adelaide (2018), I don’t want to be there when it happens, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Perth (2017), Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW) Thinking Project, Asia Society Museum, New York (2017); Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (AsiaTOPA), Melbourne (2017); Karachi Biennial, Karachi (2017); Substitute, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, Sydney (2016); Between Structure and Matter: Other Minimal Futures, Aicon Gallery, New York (2016); Creative Accounting, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Sydney (2016); WAR, Newington Armory Gallery, Sydney (2016), Future Archaeology, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney (2015) and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche Toronto (2015).

In 2017, Syed was the recipient of National Association of Visual Arts Australia’s prestigious 2017 Carstairs Prize, 2009 Blacktown City Art Drawing Prize and Individual Artists of Oklahoma’s 2003 Installation Artist of the Year award.