Behjat Omer Abdulla Born 1976 Kurdistan/Iraq Lives and work in Borås/ Gothenburg, Sweden E: behjatoa@gmail.com
Behjat Omer Abdulla is a Kurdish artist, educated at Staffordshire University, UK and the Valand Academy, Gothenburg University. He works with mixed media, mainly drawing, photography and video installation. Through his art, he conveys feelings and stories about war, often through individual destinies and with a focus on experiences that can hardly be explained or shared. Behjat has participated in a number of exhibitions internationally, including Tate Modern and Southbank Centre in London, and the Drone Vision exhibition at the Hasselblad Center in Gothenburg. His artworks are an invitation to look, encourage a shift in the viewer’s understanding of the subject and he tries to find ways to force them to connect to the artwork in unexpected ways. He currently lives in Sweden and he is an adjunct lecture at Gothenburg University, Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts.
Perhaps we as individuals constantly live within our own personal and collective memories, our existence unconsciously carrying, communicating with and relying on our experiences. Through transforming our experiences and memories into visual forms, we are trying to share, recognise each other and to escape from a struggle. If art is both an attractive and a repulsive force, it is also a powerful and influential tool with which to transform our disturbed minds and bodies into desirable objects related to the issues of humanity. Work: Freelance Artist Adjunct Lecturer, Fine Art, Gothenburg University Artistic Director of River of Light Education: 2019: Critical Pedagogy and project leading, Valand Academy, Gothenburg University, Sweden. 2016: MFA Fine Art Degree, Valand Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden 2010: First Class Honours, BA-Fine Art in Staffordshire University, UK 2007: ABC Level 1 Art design and Creative Studies Digital Imaging, Stoke-on-Trent College, UK 1992-7: Diploma, in Painting, Sulaimaniyah Institute of Fine Arts, Kurdistan/Iraq
Awards: 2017-18: Drone Vision Project, Hasselblad Foundation Konstnärsnämnden, International project grant 2016: Konstnärsnämnden, One year working grant Eric Ericsons Stipendium Valnd Academy Award Swedish Intercultural Art Grant 2015: The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts 2014: Norwegian Art Council 2010: Awarded the prize for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Fine Art, Staffordshire University, UK 2009: Photography show “Home” Burslem School of Art, UK
Upcoming shows/events: solo show: WHAT IF LIF IS BALCK AND WITE at Borås Museum of Modern Art
Selected Exhibitions: 2019 - 2022: Resignation Syndrome: Mural in collaboration with Kulturbyrået Mesen at Dronningens gate 27, Oslo, Norway 2220: January, Drone Vision, Sweden
2019: Solo show, Vänersborgs konsthall, Vänersborgs, Sweden Sink without Trace, P21 gallery, London, UK 2018: En Mal D'Archive, Station, Beirut, Lebanon Drone Vision, Hasselblad Foundation, Gothenburg, Sweden 2017: “Who are we?” Tate Modern, London, UK 2016: “Out of Chaos” Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, UK “Summer Dig” Gothenburg Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden “ENACT” Gothenburg Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden “STIPENDIATUSTÄLLNINGEN” Royal Academy, Stockholm, Sweden “100 for 100” Ben Uri Museum of Art, London, UK “A Brighter Darkness” A-venue, Gothenburg, Sweden “Unexpected” Ben Uri Museum of Art, London, UK 2015: “River of Light” Gothenburg, Sweden “Journey Festival” outdoors wall installations, Leicester, UK “CAN YOU DIG IT” Vasagatan 33, Gothenburg, Sweden “Human Condition” Tenthaus, Oslo, Norway “Adopting Britain” Southbank Center, London, UK 2013: “Höstsalongen” kulturhuset Borås, Sweden 2012: “AirSpace window exhibition”, Stoke-on-Trent, UK 2011: “Counterpoint” Platforma Festival, Rochelle School Gallery, London, UK “Stick-Up ” British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke-on-Trent, UK “Factory Night”, National Garden Festival, Stoke-on-Trent, UK “AVENUE OF PORTRAITS” Hayward Gallery, London, UK “anti curate" Midland Art Center, Birmingham, UK “KMQ" slideshow, airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, UK “BE Festival" Midland Art Center, Birmingham, UK. “KISS ME QUICK" Harbour Arm Gallery, Margate, UK “Here Is My World" The Crocus Gallery, Nottingham, UK “DAT fest”, 100 Stories, Stoke-on-Trent, UK 2010: Southgate Place, Bath, UK Black Country Creative Advantage, The Public, West Bromwich, UK “Wirksworth Festival”, Newbridge Gallery, Wirksworth, UK “Amaze” Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK 2009: “HEP”, Video installation, José Malhoa Museum, Portugal “World Domination 6”, Schloss Blumenthal, Germany “HEP”, Video installation, IM BANANAPARK, Berlin, Germany “HEP”, Video installation, Guildford Lane Gallery, Melbourne 300, Australia “Shifting Origin”, ArtWaves, Nile Street Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, UK “Oslo Open 2009”, Art film, Oslo, Norway “Home" Burslem School of Art, Queen Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, UK 2008: “Bethesda Splendors”, Video installation, Bethesda Chapel, S-O- T, UK 2007: “Dishinit”, 404 Bowls with 101 People, New Vic Theatre, S-O-T, UK “Artists Against Racism & Fascism”. Stoke-On-Trent, UK 2006: “Straight from the Heart”, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, S-O-T, UK 2005: “Holocaust Exhibition”, New Vic Theatre, S-O-T. UK “Piconnectic”, Semi Gallery Staffordshire University, S-O-T, UK 2004: “Beyond Experience, Beyond Appearance”, New Vic Theatre, S-O-T, UK "Behind the veils", Elective Gallery, Staffordshire University, UK 2003: “Travelling Light”, Art Exchange, The Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK 1997: Sulaimaniyah Institute of Fine Arts Gallery. Iraq 1996: “Diwar Band”, Media Gallery, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq University of Sulaimaniyah, Iraq 1995: Media Gallery in Iraq 1992: Museum & Art Gallery of Sulaimaniyah. Iraq
Commissions and artistic experience: 2016-2019: Artistic Director for “River of Light ” Lantern project, Gothenburg, Sweden 2019: Artist talk, Art activism and politics: in collaboration with Hammarkullen Konsthall, Blå Stället, Gothenburg, Sweden 2018: Artist talk, Contemporary Art and Politics: in collaboration with Gothenburg Konsthall, Gothenburg City Library, Sweden FOR A the EU Project collaboration with TILLT, Gothenburg, Sweden 2017: Art Educator GIBCA On Secularity, Gothenburg, Sweden 2016: Swedish Representative for Art Transforming Urban Spaces, Borås, Sweden 2015: Artist talk, Spaces Between: Practice research pedagogy, Goldsmiths, University of, London, UK Selected artist for Journey Festival, Leicester, UK 2013: Selected artist for “ London Road Festival”, S-O-T, UK Media Trainer for the Second Edition of the Wiki Week “Say it loud” Rennes, France 2012: Lead artist for ” My London Road” London Road Festival, S-O-T, UK ”Fringe Festival” Coordinator and curator of visual art elements, S-O-T, UK Artist talk at Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Artist and Project Manager of Take This Waltz, UK Talk and drawing workshop, Staffordshire University, UK 2011: Kibblesworth Insider Art project, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK Curated ‘Kiss Me Quick ’, slideshow, AirSpace, Stoke-on-Trent, UK 100 stories, Performance, Stoke-on-Trent, UK 2010: Talk and drawing workshop, Staffordshire University, UK Conjunction ‘ESCAPE’ airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, UK Documentary Film ‘Common Ground’ Stoke-on-Trent, UK ‘Escape to the hidden garden’ land art drawing Workshop, Stoke-on-Trent, UK Over the Bridge Night, Film projection, Stoke-on-Trent, UK