Wednesday August 22, 2018
It is always exciting to find laudable causes that are geared toward connecting Africa to the diaspora.
Next month will witness one of such events, as top performing Somali
artists in the diaspora are set to converge in Minnesota for the third
edition of the annual Aragti Wadaag art exhibition organized by Somaal House of Art.
Exhibitions by the Minnesota-based art collective brings together
artists that are connected by kinship and fellowship through the arts,
allowing them to dialogue with each other and around cultural discourse
within their respective fields.
Five Somali artists based in Europe and the U..S are set to exhibit
their pieces in this year’s exhibition expected to take place
on September 8, 2018, at Somaal house, Minnesota.
These young Somali artists will participate in the exhibition which will show the best of Somalia to the world.
1. Amani M. is an independent multidisciplinary designer and concept
artist based in the UK. She alternates between photo illustration and
art commissions while producing uniquely designed projects for her own
brand known as “492”
2. UK-based Somali born artist Ahmed Magare is a publisher, writer
and a multidisciplinary artist who primarily works in painting and
writing. His visual work is rooted in his writing. He links his poetry
work to the themes captured in his paintings thus directs and constructs
his visual imagery.
3. Ilfrah Mansour is a Somali Muslim, refugee, multimedia artist and
educator residing in Minnesota. Her works have been featured in BBC,
Vice, Okayafrica, Star Tribune and city pages. She interweaves poetry,
puppetry, films and installations to create her art.
4. Kaamil A. Haider is a graphic designer and visual artist who
applies a holistic approach to art and design while exploring human
interactions as with designed entities.
5. Poet and photographer Kadija Charif is born in Kenya and raised in
Belgium and America. She started writing at age 5 and hopes to produce
work that will ignite conversations and curiosity.