We have an exciting update!
Meet the five UK-based Arab creatives who are working with The Station and us on a year-long project to help develop the skills of emerging Iraqi female artists in Baghdad, Basra and Erbil.
Farida Eltigi is an Egyptian illustrator and Graphic Communication Designer exploring culture, representation, identity and diasporas. Her designs are driven by highlighting and celebrating Arab visual language and design. Farida inspiration from design elements found in the Arab landscape, and is passionate about using her art to promote narratives representing those social groups through artistic expression and representation.
Sally Souraya is a Lebanese artist based in London who uses photography, performance and installation as her main mediums. Sally’s recent projects include Sweeping, an installation on the act of sweeping in the aftermath of Beirut’s explosion; A means to a shelter, a photo series exploring the linguistic landscape in refugee camps; and Hide-and-Seek, a series representing the social and psychological spaces in between and behind our public interactions.
LUMA is a British-Iraqi DJ and radio host whose urban London roots and Arabic heritage influence her global sound. She has previously supported Acid Arab at Fabric, Habibi Funk at the Jazz Cafe and plays at Keep Hush. Luma also has a monthly residency on AAJA Music and Balamii with the Habibti Nation show – showcasing underground electronic music from South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) with a focus on femxle and non-binary artists.
Lara Kobeissi is a Beiruti new-media artist based in London. Her work examines the intersection between migration, personal histories, digital spaces and the internet to form an experimental practice that sits within a unique area across visual and performing arts. She draws on her experience with animation, game narratives, oral storytelling and spatial design to speak to a new generation on issues that are important to them.
Alaa Alsaraji is a London-based visual artist, designer and creative facilitator. She also works with various creative and educational organisations and collectives as a facilitator, delivering creative workshops with children and women’s groups. Alaa is the arts editor of Khidr Collective. She has also received the SPACE Artist Award 2021 and selected as the Artist in Residence for the Museum of the Home and the reAct programme (2021-22).
Together, these five talented artists will collaborate with Iraqi artists to create new work that will premiere at AWAN Festival 2023 in London and Baghdad. Sign up for our newsletter below to be the first to know about the exhibition.
The Station is an independent, non-governmental organisation in Iraq that helps young entrepreneurs and artists get their careers off the ground. Through this project, we hope to bring together Arab women artists from Iraq and the United Kingdom.
This project is funded by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, which supports UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international art projects.
