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 …
