Artist Focus

Helsinki-based artist Adel Abidin is best known for his candid exploration of history, identity, politics, conflicts and memory. His incisive use of irony and humor draws him towards various social situations, addressing elusive experiences and cultural alienation. His projects have gained recognition through numerous exhibitions worldwide.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1973, Abidin earned his Bachelor's degree in the painting department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad (BFA, 2000) and completed his Master's degree in time and space art from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki (MFA, 2007). He has received several awards, including the prestigious Ithra Art Prize (Saudi Arabia, 2023), being named Alumni of the Year 2022 at the University of Arts in Helsinki, the Finland Prize for Visual Arts (Helsinki, 2015), Ars Fennica prize nominee (Helsinki, 2012), Jawad Saleem prize (Baghdad, 2001), and the third prize of Ismail Fatah Al Turk (Baghdad, 1999).

Abidin's works can be found in museums and public collections, including the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland, the National Gallery in Finland, Darat El-Fenun in Jordan, Mathaf - Museum of Arab Art in Doha, Qatar, Kamal Lazzar Foundation in Tunis, King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Ithra, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and the NGV - National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, as well as in many private collections.

Since representing Finland at the Nordic Pavilion in the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007, Abidin's work has been featured in numerous biennales worldwide. His major solo exhibitions include MAC/VAL - Musée d’Art Contemporain in Paris (2008), Kiasma - Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki (2010), The Da2 - Centre of Contemporary Art in Salamanca, Spain (2010), Wharf - Centre d’Art Contemporain de Basse in Normandy (2011), Darat al Funun - The Khalid Shoman Foundation in Amman (2011), Kunsthalle Winterthur in Switzerland (2012), Maraya Art Center in Sharjah (2013), and Ateneum Art Museum, National Gallery in Helsinki (2018).

Abidin participated in group shows worldwide; most recently at Ithra - King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Saudi Arabia (2023), The Nordic House in Iceland (2023), ISAW - Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York (2023), SAVVY Contemporary (2021), Seoul Museum of Art in South Korea (2019), Yinchuan Museum of Contemporary Art in China (2019), MAXXI Museum in Rome (2018), FOR-SITE Foundation in San Francisco (2017), Kunstram Kreuzberg - Bethanien in Berlin (2017), Vanhaerents Art Collection in Brussels (2016).

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