Bio / Art Statement
Biography
Huner Emin is a stateless multidisciplinary Kurdish artist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Originally from South Kurdistan/Northern Iraq, his work has been exhibited internationally, including at the CICA Museum of Art in South Korea, Agora Gallery in NYC, and Duhok Gallery of Art in Kurdistan/Iraq. Emin has received numerous awards, including the Dehaan Artist of Distinction Award, DC Art Commission fellowship, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant.
Emin studied Western classical art in Erbil, Iraq, and earned an MFA in Studio Art with a focus on Painting from Marywood University in the United States. Since leaving Iraq in 2013 due to political and social issues, he has not returned. During the Arab Spring, his performance piece "Geruk," which questioned governmental power and political dogma, led to his arrest twice between 2011 and 2013. In 2017, he created "Blood Washing," an artwork addressing honor killings, which was first exhibited at the Maslow Study Gallery for Contemporary Art at Marywood University.
Emin’s work continues to reflect his lived experiences and broader concerns in the Middle East, exploring themes such as the Anfal genocide ("180,000 Seconds"), Iraq War atrocities ("Manufactured Democracy"), 2021-2024, and ISIL crimes ("Testimonies from Mount Sinjar"), ongoing.
Huner Emin is a stateless multidisciplinary Kurdish artist based in Bloomington, Indiana. Originally from South Kurdistan/Northern Iraq, his work has been exhibited internationally, including at the CICA Museum of Art in South Korea, Agora Gallery in NYC, and Duhok Gallery of Art in Kurdistan/Iraq. Emin has received numerous awards, including the Dehaan Artist of Distinction Award, DC Art Commission fellowship, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant.
Emin studied Western classical art in Erbil, Iraq, and earned an MFA in Studio Art with a focus on Painting from Marywood University in the United States. Since leaving Iraq in 2013 due to political and social issues, he has not returned. During the Arab Spring, his performance piece "Geruk," which questioned governmental power and political dogma, led to his arrest twice between 2011 and 2013. In 2017, he created "Blood Washing," an artwork addressing honor killings, which was first exhibited at the Maslow Study Gallery for Contemporary Art at Marywood University.
Emin’s work continues to reflect his lived experiences and broader concerns in the Middle East, exploring themes such as the Anfal genocide ("180,000 Seconds"), Iraq War atrocities ("Manufactured Democracy"), 2021-2024, and ISIL crimes ("Testimonies from Mount Sinjar"), ongoing.
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, as I believe that art can serve as a powerful tool to resist tyranny and expose the atrocities of modern life.
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 the intersection of 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 subjects reflecting the politics of my country of origin. In the West, I sought authenticity in my work, establishing a system influenced by the verticality and poetic nature of Middle Eastern culture. 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 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 2021-2024. I collected the 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, as I believe that art can serve as a powerful tool to resist tyranny and expose the atrocities of modern life.
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 the intersection of 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 subjects reflecting the politics of my country of origin. In the West, I sought authenticity in my work, establishing a system influenced by the verticality and poetic nature of Middle Eastern culture. 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 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 2021-2024. I collected the 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