Bio / Art Statement
Biography
Huner Emin is a stateless multimedia Kurdish artist. He grew up in south Kurdistan/northern Iraq and is now based in Bloomington, Indiana. His work has been exhibited in various museums and galleries internationally, including the CICA Museum of Art in South Korea, the Agora Gallery in NYC, and the Duhok Gallery of Art in Kurdistan/Iraq. Huner has received numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the Boynes Award, DC Art Commission fellowship, and On Rump Indiana Art Commission Grant.
Huner studied Western classical art in Erbil, Iraq, and later moved to the United States to earn an MFA in Studio Art in painting at Marywood University. His work focuses on political and social subjects related to his life, ecosystem, and identity as a Kurd. During the Arab Spring, he performed Geruk, a piece that questioned governmental power and political dogma, leading to his arrest twice between 2011-2013.
Since leaving Iraq in 2013 due to political and social issues, Huner's work has continued to comment on both his lived experiences and broader concerns in the Middle East. This includes his exploration of honor killing traditions in the art project "Blood Washing" in 2017, the Baath regime’s 1987-1989 genocide campaign against Kurdish communities in his piece named "180,000 Seconds" made in 2016, and crimes against humanity and the aftermath of Iraq War atrocities in his art project "Manufactured Democracy" in 2021.
Huner Emin is a stateless multimedia Kurdish artist. He grew up in south Kurdistan/northern Iraq and is now based in Bloomington, Indiana. His work has been exhibited in various museums and galleries internationally, including the CICA Museum of Art in South Korea, the Agora Gallery in NYC, and the Duhok Gallery of Art in Kurdistan/Iraq. Huner has received numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the Boynes Award, DC Art Commission fellowship, and On Rump Indiana Art Commission Grant.
Huner studied Western classical art in Erbil, Iraq, and later moved to the United States to earn an MFA in Studio Art in painting at Marywood University. His work focuses on political and social subjects related to his life, ecosystem, and identity as a Kurd. During the Arab Spring, he performed Geruk, a piece that questioned governmental power and political dogma, leading to his arrest twice between 2011-2013.
Since leaving Iraq in 2013 due to political and social issues, Huner's work has continued to comment on both his lived experiences and broader concerns in the Middle East. This includes his exploration of honor killing traditions in the art project "Blood Washing" in 2017, the Baath regime’s 1987-1989 genocide campaign against Kurdish communities in his piece named "180,000 Seconds" made in 2016, and crimes against humanity and the aftermath of Iraq War atrocities in his art project "Manufactured Democracy" in 2021.
Artist’s Statement
I am an activist and storyteller who uses calligraphy and visual symbols to shed light on various subjects such as honor killings, genocide, and crimes against humanity. My work aims to depict the political and socio-economic realities of my surroundings. I engage in research and multi-disciplinary art projects to express social and political issues, a practice I refer to as Investigative Art. This term reflects my interest in the intersectionality of journalism and art, believing that art can serve as a tool to resist tyranny and expose modern life's atrocities.
My art practice involves collecting data and reorganizing shapes and materials to create pieces in various media styles, including video art, installations, and paintings. I bridge different art-making philosophies by reflecting on Middle Eastern and Western cultures. While studying Western classical art in Iraq, I learned to create art resembling Western culture's horizontal perspective and visual aesthetics. During my MFA studies in the United States, I focused on subject matters reflecting my country of origin's politics. In the West, I sought authenticity in my work, establishing a system influenced by Middle Eastern culture's verticality and poetic nature. As a result, my art is a blend of experiences from two distinct cultures.
I was born and raised in Iraq. After leaving Iraq in 2013, I never returned due to political and social issues with the Iraqi government. My work since has continued to comment both on my lived experiences and broader concerns in the Middle East, including my own experience of honor killing traditions in the art project Blood Washing created in 2017; 180,000 Seconds art project made in 2016 where I stood for 50 hours for the victims of Anfal genocide campaign 1987-1989 committed by Baath's regime in Iraq against Kurdish minorities; and crimes against humanities and aftermath of Iraq War atrocities in my art project Manufactured Democracy created in 2021. I collected names of Iraqi individuals who lost their lives in the civil wars and wrote the names in the shape of fingerprints to evoke crime scenes.
I am an activist and storyteller who uses calligraphy and visual symbols to shed light on various subjects such as honor killings, genocide, and crimes against humanity. My work aims to depict the political and socio-economic realities of my surroundings. I engage in research and multi-disciplinary art projects to express social and political issues, a practice I refer to as Investigative Art. This term reflects my interest in the intersectionality of journalism and art, believing that art can serve as a tool to resist tyranny and expose modern life's atrocities.
My art practice involves collecting data and reorganizing shapes and materials to create pieces in various media styles, including video art, installations, and paintings. I bridge different art-making philosophies by reflecting on Middle Eastern and Western cultures. While studying Western classical art in Iraq, I learned to create art resembling Western culture's horizontal perspective and visual aesthetics. During my MFA studies in the United States, I focused on subject matters reflecting my country of origin's politics. In the West, I sought authenticity in my work, establishing a system influenced by Middle Eastern culture's verticality and poetic nature. As a result, my art is a blend of experiences from two distinct cultures.
I was born and raised in Iraq. After leaving Iraq in 2013, I never returned due to political and social issues with the Iraqi government. My work since has continued to comment both on my lived experiences and broader concerns in the Middle East, including my own experience of honor killing traditions in the art project Blood Washing created in 2017; 180,000 Seconds art project made in 2016 where I stood for 50 hours for the victims of Anfal genocide campaign 1987-1989 committed by Baath's regime in Iraq against Kurdish minorities; and crimes against humanities and aftermath of Iraq War atrocities in my art project Manufactured Democracy created in 2021. I collected names of Iraqi individuals who lost their lives in the civil wars and wrote the names in the shape of fingerprints to evoke crime scenes.
Copyright©Huner Emin