SHERKO ABBAS

BIOGRAPHY

Sherko Abbas 

Born in 1978, in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdish Autonomous Region, Iraq. Lives and works in United Kingdom. He studied Fine Art in Sulaymaniyah and graduated with Master of Fine arts at the Goldsmiths University of London in 2015. He employs the media of video, performance, text and sound in his practice dedicated to the sonic and visual memory and geopolitical situation of contemporary Iraq and Kurdistan in Particular. He has participated in many exhibitions including his work THE MUSIC OF BUSH ERA was Shown in last Iraqi pavilion (Archaic) in Venice Biennale 57th, the Bagdad mon amour in ICI Paris, Vernacularity, Alternativa International Visual Arts Festival in Gdansk, Poland and the Estrangement in showroom London.

CV

Education

1999

  • Diploma, Institute of Fine Art, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2005

  • BA, College of Fine Art, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2015

  • MFA, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Scholarship

2012

  • Kurdistan Regional Government scholarship to complete master in art

Curatorial experience

2017

  • Researcher and coordinator of the project In-between Worlds. Kurdish Contemporary Artists with the curator Aneta Szylak, resulting in a collection of over 30 Kurdish-Iraqi artists and accompanying book in the framework of Imago Mundi project by Fabrica and Benetton Foundation, Treviso, Italy

2016

  • Clamor, Institute of Fine Art Hall in Sulaimanyah, Iraq, exhibition curator

2010

  • Postwar Culture in Iraq, operation manager of a project, National Museum of Amna Suraka, Sulaimanyah, Iraq
  • Operation assistance of Richard Wilson for his installation 20;50, National Museum of Amna Suraka, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2009

  • workshop manager of  Kurdish Colour, led by professor Michel Fehr of Art in Context Program UdK, Berlin, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2007

  •  Sarmady, Initiator, coordinator, website and catalogue editor of an exhibition, National Museum of Amna Suraka, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2005

  • 2005 Project. Initiator, coordinator, website and catalogue editor of an exhibition featuring 10 young artists from Sulaimanyah, National Museum of Amna Suraka, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

 

Solo exhibitions

2003

  • A House Without Walls, General Library Hall, Sulaimanyah, Iraq
  • Drugged Rug, National Museum of Amna Suraka, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2004

  • Pine and Oil, National Museum of Amna Suraka, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

 

Selected group exhibitions:

2018

  • Baghdad, mon amour, Institute des Cultures d’Islam, Paris, curated by Morad Montazam

2017

  • Archaic, Iraq Pavilion at 57th Venice Biennale, curated by Tamara Chalabi and Paolo Colombo
  • The city and I hurt each other, English Hospital Sulaimanyah, Iraq, curated by Rebeen Majeed

2016

  • Clamor, Institut of Fine Arts Hall, Sulaimanyah, Iraq

2015

  • Vernacularity, Alternativa International Visual Arts Festival in Gdansk, Poland, curated by Aneta Szylak, Emily Pethick and Beatrice Josse
  • Small things that matter more, Sala Gallery Italy, curated by Rebeen Majeed
  • Dire Straits, Lumen Festival, New York City, curated by Sandra Skurvida
  • Digite, collaboration project at The Showroom-London organized by Shama Khan
  • Goldsmiths Graduate Show, Goldsmith, University of London

2014

  • Freedom at the Barricades, Vaxjo Art Hall in Sweden, curated by Martin Schibli
  • When the Wild Instrument Sing, at Goldsmiths, university of London (an ongoing sound performance that initiated by Sherko Abbas, a collaboration with Khabat Abbas and Hardi Kurda

2012

  • Dire straits, Import/Export, Kassel, Germany, curated by Sandra Skurvida.

2011

  • Be alert, Merg Gallery, Hawler (Erbil), Iraq, curated by Awni Sami (Awni SB)
  • OtherIS TVDINNER, IM International, Queens, New York City, curated by Sandra Skurvida
  • Estrangement, Alternativa International Visual Arts Festival Gdansk, Poland, curated by Aneta Szylak and Hiwa K

2010

  • Estrangement, The Showroom, London, curated by Aneta Szylak and Hiwa K