Adel Abidin

Artist Biography

Adel Abidin was born in Baghdad (1973) and currently resides between Helsinki and Amman. He received a B.A. in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad (2000) and an M.F.A from the Academy of Fine Arts in Time and Space Art in Helsinki (2005).

His work has been the subject of major exhibitions worldwide, including the 52nd Venice Biennale where he represented Finland. Abidin’s work is well represented in private and public collections including those of: KIASMA- Musuem of Contemporary Art, The National Gallery of Helsinki, The National Gallery of Victoria, Sharjah Art Foundation, Mathaf- Arab Museum of Modern Art, EMMA- Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Nadour Private Collection, Kamel Lazaar Collection, The Barjeel Art Foundation, The Heino Art Foundation, Darat al Funun, The Khalid Shoman Foundation, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, KOC foundation.

Abidin was selected for the Finland Prize for Arts (2015), and received a 5-year grant from The Art Council of Finland (2012-2017). He is the recipient of the Ithra Art Prize 2023.
His work was mentioned in major newspapers and magazines internationally: The NewYork Times, Le Monde, Le Figaro, The National Dubai, Helsingin Sanomat, Wallpaper magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Canvas Art Magazine, Art Forum, Art in America, Le Quotidien de l’Art …

Website

Exhibitions
Featured
MENART 2023

From February 3, 2023 to February 5, 2023

Featured
I Am One Acquainted With The Night
Collective Exhibition

From June 5, 2021 to September 25, 2021

Featured
Ya! | يا
Adel Abidin

From January 22, 2019 to March 20, 2019

Featured
From Sound to Silence
Collective Exhibition

From June 7, 2017 to August 5, 2017

Featured
… كان يا مكان
Collective Exhibition

From February 16, 2022 to April 16, 2022

Selected Works
Politically Correct

Politically Correct questions both political and correctness. It presents political correctness in fragile form, that suggests the term political correctness can bend and even twist; it can be spelled and understood wrong. It may not be such a superpower, as it seems at first sight. And yet, we take it as a tool to manage minds and good behaviour.

We Came to Kill Your Father

The neon text sculpture, was inspired by a real story of a young girl who during the Finnish civil war opened the door to a group of men who were knocking on her home’s front door. They simply told upon opening the door: “we came to kill your father.” – a long suppressed and painful memory that took decades for her to finally share.

As the history repeats itself, the doors are keep being knocked and the same sentence is being spoken.

Politically Correct
Adel Abidin
Politically Correct
Coated stainless steel sculptures, Edition 1 of 3
2018
250 cm x 325 cm

Politically Correct questions both political and correctness. It presents political correctness in fragile form, that suggests the term political correctness can bend and even twist; it can be spelled and understood wrong. It may not be such a superpower, as it seems at first sight. And yet, we take it as a tool to manage minds and good behaviour.

We Came to Kill Your Father
Adel Abidin
We Came to Kill Your Father
Neon Installation
2018
17 cm x 400 cm, Photo Credit Elie Bekhazi

The neon text sculpture, was inspired by a real story of a young girl who during the Finnish civil war opened the door to a group of men who were knocking on her home’s front door. They simply told upon opening the door: “we came to kill your father.” – a long suppressed and painful memory that took decades for her to finally share.

As the history repeats itself, the doors are keep being knocked and the same sentence is being spoken.

Adel Abidin News
""
Iraqi-Finnish Ithra Art Prize winner Adel Abidin explores ‘fragility of history’
Read Article
Featured
L’Ithra Art 2023 à l’Irakien Adel Abidin
Read Article
""
"We are beyond excited to announce that Adel Abidin is the winner of the 2023 Ithra Art Prize ! His winning artwork “On” (عن) examines the connection between history, memory, and identity through the study of the Zanj Rebellion in Iraq, using a special stamping technique."
Ithra Art Prize 2023
Read Article