Samira Abbassy moved to New York city from London in 1998 where she helped to establish the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Studio Center. Her work is largely autobiographical, composed of stylized self-portraiture and mythological history paintings. Abbassy’s work is included in the following collections: the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, The British Government Art Collection, the Donald Rubin Foundation, the Farjaam Collection, the Burger Collection, the Omid Foundation, Tehran, the Abbey Grey, NYU. Other awards and fellowships include a Yaddo fellowship, a NYFA fellowship in Drawing, a Pollock-Kasner, and a Joan Mitchell Painting/Sculpture award. In April 2012 she was the artist in residence at the University of Virginia.