Sharifi is a Norwegian choreographer with Iranian roots. His dance career started with hip-hop in his teenage years and he went on to study classical and modern ballet in his twenties. He graduated in choreography at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, and is particularly interested in the artistic expression found in the intersection between dance, theatre and graphic art. In 2000, he established his own company, Impure Company, which specialises in highlighting civic engagement and politics in its art.

Sharifi’s language of movement tends to be physically challenging, intense and powerful, and explores the deeper feelings behind power, political systems and violence, through precise movements and other stage effects. Shariff became artistic director of Carte Blanche in 2014, and remained in that role until August 2018. His first work for Carte Blanche was Shadows Remain Silent, which premièred in Norway on the main stage of the Oslo Opera House in January 2014. He was also behind the Birthmarkproduction trilogy with choreographies by Siri Jøntvedt/Snelle Hall, Ingeleiv Berstad/Kristin Ryg Helgebostad and Lina Majdalaine, and the unique and improvisational production by carte blanche, in which the dancers have no choreographer and constantly encounter new musical visitors onstage. Spring 2016 saw the world premiere of the We are here togetherproduction, with two choreographies by Mia Habib and Marcelo Evelin, and in October 2016, the company presented the world premiere of Løperjenten (rekonstruert)in a co-production with Den Nationale Scene, which was described as a pan-artistic work. In 2017, Carte Blanche presented the production Jeradaby Bouchra Ouizguen. The Arctic Arts Festival in the same year saw the world premiere of Hooman Sharifi’s second production for Carte Blanche: While They are Floating. In 2018, Sharifi and Carte Blanche presented the productions Get Lost by the German choreographer Pieter Ampe, and the visually arresting production Soufflette by the French choreographer François Chaignaud, which was performed at Dansens Hus to great success in October 2018, plus a number of other venues.