Arwa Abouon
Arwa Abouon (1982-2020) is a Libyan-Canadian photographer.
Arwa Abouon | |
---|---|
Born | 1982 (age 38–39) |
Nationality | Canadian |
Education | Bachelors of Fine Arts |
Alma mater | Concordia University |
Known for | Photography |
Website | arwaabouon |
Biography
Abouon was born in Tripoli, Libya in 1982 and is of Amazigh descent.[1] She immigrated to Canada with her family in 1983 in response to recruitment of young men by the Muammar Gaddafi regime. Her father, Mustafa Muhammad Abouon (1940-2013), feared for the safety of his sons.[2]
Abouon studied at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec where she majored in design art and obtained a bachelor of fine arts, with distinction, in 2007.[3][4] Her work draws heavily on her experience as an Islamic woman living in the West and it often incorporates traditional Islamic customs, clothing and icons alongside symbols of Western cultural.[3][5] She explains that the goal of her work "is to sculpt a finer appreciation of the Islamic culture by shifting the focus from political issues to a poetic celebration of the faith's foundations."[6]
Abouon's work has been displayed internationally at galleries in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and Middle East.[2] Her diptych Mirror Mirror, Allah Allah won second prize at the 26th annual Alexandra Biennale for Mediterranean Countries Award in 2014.[2][7] Art critic Valerie Behiery noted that the piece, which shows reflections of Abouon dressed in a veil and without, provides commentary with "deliberate visual simplicity and humour".[8] She died in Montreal on June 9, 2020.[9][10]
Major exhibitions
- 2012 - Learning by Heart - The Third Line Gallery, Dubai[2][11]
- 2014 - Honolulu - Sultan Gallery, Kuwait[12]
- 2015 - Birthmark Theory - London Print Studio, London, UK[13][8]
- 2017 - Sanctuary - FOR-SITE Foundation, Fort Mason Chapel, San Francisco, California https://www.for-site.org/project/sanctuary/
- 2018 - Connections: Our Artistic Diversity Dialogues with Our Collections, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/finearts/2018/10/10/building-new-narratives-at-the-montreal-museum-of-fine-arts.html?c=/news/authors/katharine-stein
References
- El-Zobaidi, Dunia (23 October 2015). "The Birthmark Theory of Canadian-Libyan artist Arwa Abouon". www.thearabweekly.com/. The Arab Weekly. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- Al-Ageli, Nahla (9 January 2015). "Libyan-Canadian Artist Arwa Abouon Contemplates Life After Death, Angels & Paradise, in Loving Memory of Her Father". Muftah. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- "'Learning by Heart' by Libyan-Canadian artist Arwa Abouon". Islamic Arts Magazine. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- Abouon, Arwa. "C.V." Arwa Abouon. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- Behiery, Valerie (2012). "Imaging Islam in the Art of Arwa Abouon". Journal of Canadian Art History. 33 (2): 129–147. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- Chunara, Nazish (August 2016). "Arwa Abouon". Venison. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "Visual artist Arwa Abouon tackles subjects of identity, gender, humanity and spirituality". al.arte.magazine. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- Behiery, Valerie (November 2012). "Arwa Abouon: Learning by Heart". Nafas Art Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "'Libya has lost one of its great artists': Tributes are paid to photographer Arwa Abouon who died aged 38". The National. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- "Decease of artist Arwa Abouon". Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. June 11, 2020.
- "Arwa Abouon - Learning By Heart". www.thethirdline.com. The Third Line Art Gallery. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "Honolulu by Arwa Abouon". artkuwait.org. Sultan Gallery. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "Nour Festival - Arwa Abouon - London Print Studio". www.londonprintstudio.org.uk. London Print Studio. 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.