Safemuse

Tara Abdullah: The Girl from The Cigarette Factory

Aliona — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:51:48 +0000

Tara Abdullah: The Girl from The Cigarette Factory

June 11, 2026

Written by Aliona Pazdniakova

Artistic freedom means the ability to express lived experiences without fear. It is the right to question power structures, challenge gender norms, and speak openly about women’s realities.

For me, artistic freedom also means, that when I have an idea, I am able to realize it fully – without limitations or restrictions placed on my expression. It means having the space to produce work that may critically engage with cultural, traditional, religious, or political systems.

Freedom in art includes the right to question and critisise these systems, not out of rejection, but out of a hope for reflection, dialogue, and positive change. As for an artist, this space for honest expression is essential for me.

— Tara Abdullah

Tara Abdullah (b. 1996) is a Kurdish multidisciplinary artist from Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Her practice spans painting, sculpture, performance, sound, and installation, often taking the form of site-specific and large-scale works.

Through her art, Tara explores the most vulnerable, suppressed, violated, and silenced aspects of her home region – women, nature, and artistic freedom. In searching for her own identity and voice – both denied and repressed until her encounter with art – she raises universal questions about power, belonging, and the relationship between the individual and society.

The First Supper – Art as the way out

Growing up in a conservative patriarchal environment profoundly shaped Tara’s artistic voice, as well as the motivations and recurring motifs in her work.

“Stop making the paper dirty!” her teachers repeatedly shouted whenever Tara was drawing at school.

“Don’t make the street dirty!” her parents would say when she drew on the ground as a child.

“You are dirty like a whore now,” Tara´s mother told her when she got her first period.

For Tara, the only way out of this darkness was through art. It was a painful path, she explained, but the only one that offered the possibility of liberation.

In her family, art was considered sinful and harmful to the mind. The only artistic input Tara was allowed was Disney cartoons on television. They inspired her by presenting an alternative world, and she became fascinated by their heroes and princesses. Together with other thoughts she used to write down her dreams and fantasies in a diary.

One day, when Tara was twelve, her father found the diary. He gathered the entire family in a room and read it aloud. As punishment, he beat Tara and shaved her head.

– My mother was holding my head, and my sisters were holding my legs, Tara recalls.

As a result of the assault, Tara was hospitalized. Her father told hospital staff that she had been attacked by a cat. After this traumatic experience, Tara noticed that much of her hair had turned white. Her sisters mocked her for it.

– In my family, I became the black sheep, a bad omen, blamed for all misfortunes, Tara explains.

Tara felt betrayed by her notebook and by writing itself, which had exposed her innermost thoughts. As a result, she began writing in mirror script so that no one could understand her words. The origins of her distinctive visual language in painting may lie in this experience as well.

Alongside Disney cartoons, religious stories were one of the few narratives available to Tara during her childhood. She was particularly drawn to stories about Jesus, a figure who also holds an important place in Islam. At the age of thirteen, however, Tara lost her faith in God after being harassed by a mullah. Yet her fascination with the figure of Jesus remained. Identifying with him, she began reimagining religious narratives through her own experiences.

When Tara first discovered art books, she hid them secretly under her bed. They were soon found and destroyed by her father. Despite these restrictions, she managed to deceive her parents and gain admission to an art college. Because her religious father considered drawing human faces a sin, he only allowed her to attend on the condition that she wear a niqab and remain fully covered. During her studies, this made her the target of bullying from both teachers and fellow students.

The first time Tara traveled abroad and visited museums, meeting in person the artworks she had previously only seen in books, the experience had a strong impact on her. Years later, she reflected on this moment in her painting The First Supper. Interweaving personal memory, imagination, emotion, and religious symbolism, the work transforms the biblical narrative into a metaphor for her first encounter with art – a moment of nourishment, revelation, and awakening.

– First is a start, a beginning, and something so huge that it never ends, Tara states.

With the help of friends, mentors, and other supporters who believed in her artistic vision, Tara eventually obtained a studio in a former cigarette factory in her hometown, where she was able to fully devote herself to her artistic practice. This space marked a symbolic turning point in her life – her first independent artistic studio, a place of transformation, and a counterpoint to the restrictions of her childhood. For Tara, it became her first experience of artistic and personal freedom, and a point of no return to her former life.

– Tara is art, and art is Tara, she says to herself and to the world.

Reclaiming the voice – Amplifying the silenced

Tara’s work frequently addresses issues affecting women, including bodily autonomy, gender expectations, and the pressures imposed by social and religious structures. Through painting and large-scale public installations, she challenges restrictive narratives surrounding gender, identity, and personal freedom.

Tara’s art bridges the personal and the political by engaging with materials and symbols rooted in her local context. Whether working with repurposed clothing from women affected by violence or salvaged metal sheets from war-torn regions, she transforms everyday artifacts into powerful carriers of memory and testimony. Through these materials, Tara gives voice to marginalized experiences and creates poetic interventions in public space.

Projects such as Feminine (2020), a five-kilometer fabric installation representing the collective suffering of women, and Voice (2022), a city-wide sonic intervention, demonstrate her ongoing interest in memory, public confrontation, and healing through shared experience and cultural resonance.

These public works have provoked strong reactions in Tara’s home region.

– As a result, I have faced indirect blacklisting and professional restrictions. The Voice project was even taken to court on unfounded accusations, contributing to my eventual decision to leave Iraq, Tara explains.

Despite these pressures, she continues to work critically and openly, using art as a space for dialogue, visibility, and resistance.

Tara often works on a large scale and in site-specific contexts, beyond the confines of the white cube. She tells that this approach originated during her years in Iraq, where she sought to reach ordinary people outside the art world, a sphere in which she received little recognition or support.

– By bringing my work into public space, I want to dissolve the barriers between artists and audiences. I want to show that it is possible to find a way to speak out, Tara states.

At the core of many of Tara’s projects is the conviction that women’s private experiences of pain, shame, and oppression should not remain hidden. She argues that shame functions as a powerful mechanism of social control and that art has the capacity to expose and dismantle it.

The concept behind Feminine emerged from the shame imposed on women’s bodies and even their clothing. Drawing on the common practice of hiding women’s garments beneath men’s clothes on household washing lines, Tara transformed this invisible gesture into a monumental public statement.

– I wanted to expose that hidden feeling of shame publicly, she explains.

For Voice, Tara employed 66 loudspeakers and megaphones – media traditionally associated with mosques and religious preaching in her society. The act of a woman speaking publicly through such a medium was widely perceived as provocative and transgressive.

The recording concludes with the words: “This is the complaint message of Tara Abdullah.”

For Tara, publicly naming herself was an act of defiance and solidarity. By exposing her identity, she demonstrated that she was not afraid, encouraging other women to speak out and make their voices heard.

Speaking across the borders

While Tara’s public interventions have often been controversial in her home country, they have also gained significant international recognition and acclaim.

In 2024, Tara was nominated for the Future Generation Art Prize. For her project In Between, presented in Kyiv, Ukraine she received a Special Prize. The installation sought to connect collective trauma across borders by linking two major conflicts: the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Iran–Iraq War.

In works such as Qazwan Rosary and her ongoing painting series Beyond Gender Mold, Tara extends these investigations by reflecting on the psychological and social construction of gender identity.

In Qazwan Rosary, she engages with the concept of haram (forbidden) within traditional and religious communities, combining it with the symbolism of the rosary as a representation of male domination and control in the Middle Eastern context. By reclaiming the rosary, the installation critiques gendered power structures and challenges societal taboos. It foregrounds themes of shame, vulnerability, and the policing of women’s bodies within patriarchal societies.

In the painting series Beyond Gender Mold, Tara employs symbolic imagery and layered narratives to question inherited norms and explore the fluidity of selfhood beyond prescribed social roles. Through recurring motifs, fragmented figures, and visual metaphors, she examines gender as a cultural construct transmitted through family structures and reinforced by social, religious, and cultural frameworks.

In many works, figures are arranged according to hierarchical scales – the father depicted as larger, the mother smaller, and the children smallest – reflecting the unconscious assignment of authority, role, and value within patriarchal systems. These disproportionate representations reveal how identity is shaped by predetermined expectations, often at the expense of individuality and personal agency.

By disrupting conventional representations of femininity, masculinity, and familial hierarchy, Tara exposes the invisible structures that regulate self-perception and social belonging. Her works directly challenge fixed notions of identity and open up space for resistance, transformation, and self-definition beyond restrictive gender binaries.

Since arriving in Oslo in February 2026, Tara has become actively involved in a number of artistic projects and collaborations. Her performance, I Want to Speak, resonated strongly with Norwegian audiences through its clear and powerful message: a woman claiming the space and time, using her most accessible instrument – her own voice – to assert that every woman deserves to be heard and has the power to make herself heard.

In March, the performance served as an artistic intervention during the panel discussion on art as resistance and defence at Riksscenen, where Tara also participated as a speaker. In April, I Want to Speak opened the conference Voices in Public Art, organized by Mesén in collaboration with The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute, followed by a screening of the film from the Voice project.

Later in April Tara has opened her own atelier to the public during Oslo Open 2026, presenting a series of new paintings created during her residency alongside a large-scale work in progress. The installation will be shown at the Lyse Netter Art Festival in Moss in June, after which she will continue developing a new installation for Hvitsten Salong in Hvitsten, where it will be presented in August.

The new work in progress she is currently working on is constructed from hundreds of meters of braided black plastic bags – a material that simultaneously evokes fragility, resilience, and survival. The installation draws on a painful contemporary event.

– During attacks carried out by radical Islamist groups against Kurdish communities in Syria, the cutting of a Kurdish woman fighter’s hair became a symbolic act of domination, humiliation, and control, Tara clarifies.

By reconstructing braids from discarded plastic, she reclaims this violent gesture and transforms it into a symbol of resistance and endurance. What was intended as an act of erasure becomes, in her work, a monument to persistence, dignity, and collective memory.

Tara often says that the possibility of realizing a new project is what makes her truly happy. In Iraq, artistic initiatives are frequently hindered by political, social, and institutional obstacles. Even when opportunities arise, they are often uncertain and delayed. The ability to develop and produce work freely is therefore something she does not take for granted.

– I feel most at peace when I am working. Artistic creation provides a sense of purpose and direction. When the work stops, I am immediately confronted by dark memories, traumatic experiences, and anxieties about the future, Tara explains.

Art has become not only her profession, but also a way of processing the realities she has lived through.

The residency in Norway offers me a rare and valuable safe space. It allows me to deepen my artistic research, explore Nordic and European art contexts, and expand my professional network.

Most importantly, it gives me the freedom to develop and produce new projects that I may not be able to realize in my home region. I hope to create new works, experiment with scale and materials, and engage in meaningful dialogue with local institutions and audiences.

– Tara Abdullah

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

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Open call for artists in need of a safe residency to develop their art

sina@upnorthfilm.no — Sun, 31 May 2026 22:01:00 +0000

Open call for artists in need of a safe residency to develop their art

June 1, 2026

Oslo Art Haven & Hvitsten Art Haven programmes 2027/2028

In an increasingly polarised world, with tension between nations, cultures, political parties and cultural norms, a growing number of artists are encountering obstacles in the execution of their work. Artists are in many cases regarded as activists, even when they themselves do not identify with, or promote a political view or a political movement. This is especially true for female artists, artists that are queer, come from minority or indigenous groups or artists that work in genres not deemed acceptable by society or by their government. Safemuse is an NGO based in Norway that hosts safe residencies for artists, and promote artistic freedom of expression, artistic solidarity and collaboration.

The residencies

Safemuse offers safe residencies for artists that are being censored, are living under threat, or that for various reasons cannot work freely in their place of living. The residencies are usually for six months, and are run in collaboration with our local partners, and with financial support from local, regional and national institutions. We currently have two residencies in Norway: Oslo Art Haven and Hvitsten Art Haven.

Our residency programmes focus on artistic development and cooperation, and are open for artists within all artistic disciplines. The aim is to provide the artists with a possibility to get out of difficult situations, censorship or persecution, and to facilitate safe and professional environments in which the artists can concentrate on their creative processes, develop their artistry, collaborate with artists based in Norway or neighbouring regions, as well as build their own networks for professional exchange and support.

We will organise a team – consisting of a residency coordinator, a mentor, as well as advisors from Safemuse – that will coordinate and facilitate the residency and projects. Prior to arrival, we will create a plan for the content and goals for the residency together with the individual artist. We will prepare for collaborations with the selected artist and relevant institutions in Norway and explore the opportunities to present the artist’s work. The artist is not required to produce or mediate art during their stay, and the residency also offers the possibility of rest and recuperation. If the artist wishes to participate in our outreach programmes, which centres around art and society, this will be facilitated in close dialogue with the artist, but participation is not an obligation.

Safemuse will work closely with the artist when it comes to how much exposure the artist wants, and can have, during the stay, and do a risk assessment together with the artist.

Hvitsten Art Haven

Hvitsten Art Haven was established in 2022 together with the art festival- and institution Hvitsten Salong. Hvitsten is a small coastal town just 45 minutes outside Oslo and is idyllically located along the fjord. It is the home of several local artists, and the international artists who stay here are welcomed into a close-knit community. The programme facilitates all artistic genres on site or nearby. The residency is funded by the County Municipality and Arts and Culture Norway.

Hvitsten is a small community with approximately 300 inhabitants. The residency is situated beautifully and quite isolated by the sea, with 6 kilometers to the nearest store. In Hvitsten our artists live closer to a network and the coordinator of the programme. The residency will also host several small workshops and happenings during the year. The art festival Hvitsten Salong is also held on the property.

Oslo Art Haven

Oslo Art Haven was established in 2021 and has since hosted a handful of talented artists from various countries. The Norwegian capital has a thriving cultural scene and a broad artistic community working in all art disciplines and genres. The residency is funded by the Municipality of Oslo and is organised in collaboration with Nordic Black Theatre.

Safemuse has its office in the center of Oslo. The residence artists in Oslo live in apartments in the city centre or a short metro-ride away from the center. The artists based in Oslo live on their own, but our team is close by.

Practical information

The programme covers all costs connected to the artist’s travel and stay in Norway, including insurance, accommodation and living expenses. Safemuse provides assistance with the visa-application-process, but the artist is responsible for preparing all the required documentation.

NB: Be aware that the visa and permit application process to Norway may take up to eight months. The visa application should therefore be prepared and submitted as soon as possible after accepting the invitation to avoid delays. Due to the often-lengthy visa-prossessing time, the residency programme will most likely start towards the end of 2027 or in 2028. The programme does not open for an extension of stay.

The selection process will be carried out by a committee consisting of artists, representatives from art and cultural institutions, human rights advisors, and the Safemuse team.

The application process will be strictly confidential.

All applications must be submitted through our online application form (link below).

The application must include:

Documentation of your work
A thorough description of your situationregarding censorship, threats, or persecution as a consequence of your artistic practice

Time schedule:

Application deadline: Wednesday July 1^st 2026
Selection of artists: October 2026
Interviews: October/November 2026
The final decision will be made by mid-December, all applicants will receive an answer by December 18^th
Programme duration: Approx. 6 months, artists arrive between late 2027-2028 (due to the lengthy visa-process)

About Safemuse

Originating in artist-organisations: Safemuse was born as an initiative from several artist-organisations’ wish to protect artistic freedom of expression, and artists’ role in society, an international solidarity initiative working to support safe spaces where artists could create and develop, no matter which country they resided in. The answer became to create safe residencies for artists at risk, where they could develop their art.

Safe spaces: Safemuse creates safe spaces. We promote a diversity of voices and work to ensure that artists from minority groups are seen and heard.

Focus on the artist and the art: Safemuse gives artists the centre stage. We work to give artists room to create, and we contribute to artistic development, building networks and publishing/presenting.

Artistic cooperation: Safemuse cooperates with organisations that work for artists, artistic freedom and human rights. To promote this, we create networks nationally and internationally.

Artistic development: Safemuse supports artistic development. Through a large network, and knowledge of how to work as an artist we organise and coordinate so that the artists in residencies can work and focus on their art.

Artistic freedom: Safemuse works to highlight the importance of artistic freedom of expression through political engagement and cooperation with organisations at home and abroad. We work to put artistic freedom of expression on the agenda, and to make this a focus within artistic- and cultural organisations.

About our partners

Nordic Black Theatre

Nordic Black Theatre is our partner in the Oslo Art Haven programme. Nordic Black Theatre is a self-run theatre foundation established in 1992. The core activity is theatre production, but they also work with a wide range of partners in Norway and abroad. From humble and challenging beginnings Nordic Black Theatre has grown into a well-respected theatre institution that receives funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Oslo City Council. They also run the theatre school Nordic Black Xpress (NBX) through which they work with developing young transcultural actors.

Hvitsten Salong

Hvitsten Salong is our partner in the Hvitsten Art Haven programme. Hvitsten Salong is an artist-driven project that seeks a site specific- and historical approach. Hvitsten has been a place where several of Norway’s most important artists have lived and worked at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Painters and illustrators as Edvard Munch, Theodor Kittelsen, Christian Krogh, Oda Krogh, Oscar Wergeland and Hans Jæger lived and, or worked here throughout their careers. Hvitsten Salong organizes an annual art festival, in addition to several smaller events and creating a platform for professional dialogue with contemporary artists. Their vision is to give artists an opportunity to put themselves in the periphery of Norwegian art history and to compliment the national and international art scene with an exciting, progressive and innovative environment in Hvitsten.

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

The post Open call for artists in need of a safe residency to develop their art first appeared on Safemuse.

Vi stenger døren for dem som forsvarer menneskerettighetene

Kate — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:16:01 +0000

Vi stenger døren for dem som forsvarer menneskerettighetene

November 5, 2025

Det har blitt langt vanskeligere for menneskerettighetsforsvarere å få visum til Norge og andre Schengen-land. Dermed hindres de i å delta der beslutningene tas, og vi bidrar til å svekke kampen for rettigheter og demokrati.

Dette er et debattinnlegg. Meninger i teksten er skribentenes egne.

Amnesty Internationals nye rapport «Closing the Door» dokumenterer hvilke hindringer menneskerettighetsforsvarere står overfor når de forsøker å få korttids-visum for å kunne delta på konferanser, drive påvirkningsarbeid og bygge nettverk i Schengen-området, som Norge er en del av.

Menneskerettighetsforsvarerne er de som går i front for å verne om våre rettigheter. De er advokater, journalister, forfattere, fagforeningsledere, musikere, kunstnere, ledere for minoriteter og urfolk, de jobber i menneskerettighetsorganisasjoner, er miljøforkjempere, lhbtiq+-aktivister, akademikere og studentaktivister. Mange gjør dette arbeidet under svært tøffe forhold.

De er viktige stemmer på de arenaene der menneskerettigheter, demokrati og rettsstatsprinsipper diskuteres. De må kunne drive påvirkningsarbeid der beslutningene fattes også internasjonalt. Og de må kunne møte eller bygge sine nettverk for å kunne stå sterkere når presset mot dem øker.

For mange av disse menneskene er det visumplikt for å få innreise til en rekke europeiske og vestlige land, inkludert Norge. De siste årene har vi erfart at mange menneskerettighetsforsvarere strever med å få visum til Norge og andre Schengen-land. Mennesker som tidligere har reist mye internasjonalt, men alltid vendt hjem igjen, nektes nå Schengen-visum.

Amnestys rapport om europeiske lands praktisering av Schengen-visum-regler viser at særlig menneskerettighetsforsvarere fra Afrika, Asia og de som er muslimer utsettes for indirekte diskriminering, fordi de mange kravene for å få visum slår sterkere negativt ut for marginaliserte og diskriminerte søkere.

Mange Schengen-land har ikke diplomatisk representasjon i landet der menneskerettighetsforsvareren bor. Da må de eventuelt foreta en reise som kan være både kostbar og farlig, for å få levert søknaden sin. De må ofte legge ved dokumentasjon på inntekt, eiendom og ekteskap, noe som kan være vanskelig, farlig, dyrt og tidkrevende. Ventetiden for å få svar på søknaden kan være lang, og om de får Schengen-visum, så får de det ofte så sent at reisen ikke lenger er aktuell.

Norge følger ikke opp viktige oppdateringer

I juni 2024 oppdaterte imidlertid EU sin såkalte «EU Visa Code Handbook» som er en praktisk veiledning for gjennomføringen av EUs Visa Code i Schengen-området, som Norge er en del av. Her åpner man for mer fleksible prosedyrer for å gi menneskerettighetsforsvarere Schengen-visum selv om de ikke innfrir alle krav som ellers legges til grunn for ordinært visum.

Siden 2024 er Norge forpliktet til å sikre at den oppdaterte EU Visa Code blir fulgt, men vi ser ikke at det skjer.

Norge satt i arbeidsgruppen som arbeidet for å få de nevnte oppdateringene på plass, og representanter fra regjeringen har signalisert at den oppdaterte EU Visa Code skal implementeres. Utlendingsdirektoratet har dessuten lenke til denne på sine nettsider. Likevel ser vi ikke noen endring av praksis.

Erfaringene våre viser at det er vanskelig også for menneskerettighetsforsvarere i vår del av verden å få Schengen-visum til Norge.

For russiske menneskerettighetsforsvarere utgjør det en sikkerhetsrisiko å oppgi personlig informasjon i søknaden. Det har også vært tidvise problemer med å få multivisum til Schengen for de russiske menneskerettighetsforsvarerne som skal delta på Barents Pride som arrangeres i Kirkenes, og som er et samarbeid mellom norske og russiske organisasjoner som jobber for skeives rettigheter.

Et annet eksempel gjelder en tyrkisk menneskerettighetsforsvarer som i sommer deltok på et arrangement i Norge. Han visste at han ville bli arrestert når han satte foten på tyrkisk jord, og ønsket derfor å få mulighet til å bli lenger i Norge og forlenge visumet. Den eneste mekanismen han da ble opplyst at han kunne bruke, var å søke asyl. Det ønsket han ikke fordi han var opptatt av i framtiden å kunne dra tilbake til Tyrkia for å fortsette sitt arbeid for skeives rettigheter i landet. Han ble arrestert ved ankomst til Tyrkia.

Venter på svar

Vi sendte i juli et felles brev til justis- og beredskapsminister Astri Aas-Hansen der vi fremmet et knippe krav til norske myndigheter når det gjelder tidsavgrensede Schengen-visum for menneskerettighetsforsvarere. Vi venter på svar.

Når regjeringen også i statsbudsjettet legger opp til en reduksjon i Regionbevilgningen for Europa, Latin-Amerika, Afrika og Asia gir dette signaler globalt om at Norge ikke står opp for menneskerettighetsforsvarerne i praksis.

Vår oppfordring er at norske myndigheter så raskt som mulig sørger for å formidle «EU Visa Code Handbook» til alle aktører som mottar og behandler søknader om tidsavgrensede Schengen-visum til Norge, og at retningslinjene i håndboken blir implementert. Vi vil særlig framheve betydningen av å få en bedre tilrettelagt visumprosedyre som inkluderer et hurtigløp for behandling av søknader, og at det langt oftere innvilges Schengen-visum som varer lenger og gjør det mulig for menneskerettighetsforsvarere å ha mer enn én innreise i Schengen-området.

Norge liker å kalle seg en forkjemper for menneskerettigheter, og går i bresjen for beskyttelse av menneskerettighetsforsvarere internasjonalt. Da må vi også åpne dørene for dem som faktisk kjemper for disse rettighetene der de er under press. I dag er vi med på å holde dem ute.

Debattinnlegg skrevet av:

John Peder Egenæs, generalsekretær i Amnesty International Norge

Maria Dahle, daglig leder i Human Rights House Foundation

Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt, daglig leder i Raftostiftelsen

Ingeborg Moa, daglig leder i Menneskerettighetsfondet

Liv Tørres, avdelingsleder i internasjonal avdeling i LO

Henriette Reierson Johnstone, leder i SAIH

Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor, daglig leder i Safemuse

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, generalsekretær i Norsk PEN

Innlegget ble publisert i panorama nyheter den 5.nov 2025: https://shorturl.at/Qsdwf

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

The post Vi stenger døren for dem som forsvarer menneskerettighetene first appeared on Safemuse.

Exhibition – Art Captures

Kate — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:55:17 +0000

Exhibition - Art Captures

October 22, 2025

Photo: Nurperi Orunbaeva. Sanzhyra (excerpt).

Opening: November 6th at 6:00 PM–8:00 PM.

Exhibition: Nov 7, 2025 – Dec 21, 2025

In collaboration with Pikene på Broen and Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center, we present the group exhibition Kunsten fanger . Through drawing, performance, film and conversations, the exhibition shines a spotlight on artists living in exile, and those who continue to work in authoritarian contexts. The exhibition thematizes exile both as a physical forced migration and as an internal exile, a state in which artists practice under risk in their homeland. The exhibition will be on display at Pikene på Broen in Kirkenes from May 28 to August 1, 2026.

Participating artists: Alicia Gorshenina (Russia), Anna Tolkacheva (Russia), Petr Sarukhanov (Russia), Saba Pouyeshman (Iran), Andrei Busel (Belarus), Vera Shysh (Belarus), Nurperi Orunbaeva (Kyrigistan), Thinh Nguyen (Vietnam).

Artistic Space and Freedom

The theme of the exhibition goes beyond individual stories. It points to the structural conditions for the existence of art in a global landscape where freedom is being steadily constrained, and how artistic space must be continually negotiated. The boundaries of what artists are allowed to do shift as regimes increasingly restrict people’s freedoms. Some artists are imprisoned or forced into exile, while others must navigate subtly within ever-narrowing spaces. Artistic freedom thus appears as a fragile, negotiated space, constantly exposed to political and ideological changes.

The diverse voices in the exhibition demonstrate that the struggle for artistic freedom is not linear, but unfolds within varying degrees of visibility, risk, and resistance. For some, exile becomes a place from which they can speak freely, though from a distance. Others continue their work from within, in constant negotiation with those in power.

At the Intersection of East, West and North

The project Art Captures originates from Kirkenes, a border town where Norway meets Russia, and where east, west and north overlap. Since 1996, Pikene på Broen has worked at the intersection of art and geopolitics, with an emphasis on dialogue rather than isolation. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, they consciously chose to continue their collaboration with independent Russian artists with the goal of supporting those who risk a lot to oppose the government.

By bringing together voices from different geographies and positions, the exhibition reminds us that artistic freedom is not an abstract idea, but a struggle fought repeatedly, in concrete places, by real people, with real consequences.

Curator: Ingrid Valan / The Girls on the Bridge.

Coordinator and producer: Jon Lundell / Safemuse.

Exhibition producer: Hilde Lunde / Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center .

About Pikene på Broen: Pikene på Broen is a collective of curators and producers based in Kirkenes, a town in northeastern Norway. Kirkenes is located 15 km from the Russian border and 50 km from the Finnish border, making it ideally positioned for cross-border collaboration and cultural exchange in the Arctic.

About Safemuse: Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists is a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight for artistic freedom. It provides persecuted and at-risk artists with a safe place to live and develop their work. Artistic freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, essential for democracy and democratic development. Safemuse is built on the foundation of these universal principles of human rights and the promotion of artistic freedom.

About Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center
Tegnerforbundet – The Norwegian Drawing Center works to show the breadth of the drawing field and to promote the discourse around drawing as an art form. The organization’s activities include exhibitions with both Norwe-gian and international artists, the drawing program UNG I TEGNING, various drawing-related events, the magazine NUMER, and its role as a union under Norske Billedkunstnere (NBK).

Files to download:

Curator’s text Norwegian

Curator’s text English

Press release Norwegian

Press release English

___

Events during the exhibition period:
‍

Friday, November 7:

6:00 PM / Theater play: Stage Reading: Vanya is Alive with Echo of Lubimovka. By Natalia Lizorkina, directed by Gulnara Iskakova. ‍ Language : English.

6:45 PM / Conversation: Actress Gulnara Iskakova and artist Saba Pouyeshman in conversation about artists and self-censorship. Moderated by Evgeny Goman, Pikene på Broen. ‍ Language : English.

‍

Saturday, November 8:

5:00 PM / Film screening: The most important is not to betray yourself . Documentary by Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper.

5:30 PM / Film screening: Ivan Chai. A search volunteer buried 20,000 soldiers and his own son. Documentary by Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper.

18:00 / Conversation: Novaya Gazeta journalist Tatiana Britskaya in conversation with Irina Ivanova, Pikene på Broen. Language: English.

The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Fritt Ord

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

The post Exhibition – Art Captures first appeared on Safemuse.

Ytringsfrihet i teori og praksis – den oversette kunstneren

Kate — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:03:40 +0000

Ytringsfrihet i teori og praksis – den oversette kunstneren

October 10, 2025

Debattinnlegg skrevet av:
Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor (daglig leder i Safemuse) og Hans Ole Rian (Styreleder, Safemuse)

I regjeringens strategi «Ytringsberedskap – Nasjonal strategi for eit ope og opplyst offentleg ordskifte» vektlegges internasjonalt samarbeid for å forsvare demokratiske verdier.

Hatefulle ytringer, desinformasjon og propaganda omtales som alvorlige trusler mot det offentlige ordskiftet, og Norge skal være en tydelig forsvarer av ytringsfriheten i multilaterale fora.

Likevel er det et tydelig tomrom; utfordringene som forfulgte og sensurerte kunstnere møter, nevnes knapt. Kunstnerisk ytringsfrihet trekkes inn, men uten konkretisering av hva det innebærer for dem som risikerer represalier, eksil eller yrkesforbud.

Mens journalister løftes fram som særlig utsatt gruppe, omtales ikke kunstnere og kulturarbeidere på samme måte. Dette er problematisk.

Rapporter fra Safemuse og Freemuse viser at kunstnere i mange land er svært sårbare, ofte i likhet med, eller mer enn, journalister. De kan risikere fengsling, vold eller livstruende straff bare for å uttrykke seg gjennom kunst. Likevel overses denne dimensjonen i regjeringens rammeverk.

Heller ikke praktiske hindringer for kunstnere som søker sikkerhet nevnes. UDIs behandling av visumsøknader er tidkrevende og preget av mistillit. Krav om at hele livsoppholdet må være disponibelt på norsk bankkonto gjør det ofte umulig for forfulgte kunstnere å komme til Norge, i strid med UNESCO-konvensjonen om kulturelt mangfold.

Å forsvare ytringsfrihet krever mer enn kritikk av sensur i autoritære stater.

Regjeringen omtaler Norges internasjonale rolle, men problematiserer ikke hvordan norsk forvaltning kan undergrave menneskerettslige forpliktelser.

Gjennom residenser i Oslo og Hvitsten skaper Safemuse trygge pusterom for kunstnere, med nettverk og oppfølging som gjør det mulig å fortsette å skape. Dette arbeidet er ressurskrevende og viser at manglende institusjonell støtte begrenser Safemuses muligheter.

Regjeringens strategi fremhever prinsipper og multilaterale prosesser, men ignorerer de konkrete hindringene kunstnere støter på i møte med norske institusjoner. Dette kan føre til at Norge fremstår som en sterk forsvarer av ytringsfriheten internasjonalt, samtidig som man neglisjerer forpliktelsene overfor kunstnere i praksis.

Å forsvare ytringsfrihet krever mer enn kritikk av sensur i autoritære stater; det krever også at byråkratiske barrierer og konkrete sårbarheter for kunstnere møtes.

Safemuse vet hvordan dette kan gjøres, men dagens system legger unødige hindringer i veien. Regjeringen bør integrere disse erfaringene for å sikre at kunstnere kan fortsette å skape og delta i samfunnet.

Innlegget ble publisert i Dagsavise den 10. okt 2025: https://shorturl.at/Z7HHh

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

The post Ytringsfrihet i teori og praksis – den oversette kunstneren first appeared on Safemuse.

Nurperi Orunbaeva: Decolonising the Self through Artistic Practice and Reimagining Ancestral Heritage

Aliona — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:28:29 +0000

Nurperi Orunbaeva: Decolonising the Self through Artistic Practice and Reimagining Ancestral Heritage

September 18, 2025

Written by Aliona Pazdniakova

Nurperi Orunbaeva (b. 1994) is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, art activist, and advocate for women’s rights based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Her artistic practice encompasses a diverse range of media, techniques, and scales, including wall painting, painting, graphics, sculpture, installations, textiles, and more. Nurperi’s artistic approach integrates a conceptual framework with a direct statement and bold expression. Her unwavering commitment to women’s rights, the historical legacy of her nation, and its cultural heritage serve as the foundation for her artistic ideas. In many of her works, she addresses the experiences of women subjected to suppression and violence, yet they persist in their pursuit of light. Nurperi delves into the past, reflecting on the darkest chapters in her nation’s history. Through her installations, she juxtaposes the past and present, presenting them in a contemporary context.

From June 2025, Nurperi is an artist in residence at Hvitsten Art Haven. During this period, she anticipates making new connections and friendships within the Norwegian art world, as she firmly believes in the transformative power of community in combating oppressive systems. She emphasises, that only together can we make a meaningful change. Peri seeks a break from her customary routine and the daily challenges of securing employment and pursuing small projects. She appreciates the opportunity to simply engage in her artistic practice without the constraints of risk, judgment, or persecution. She enjoys visiting Norwegian museums and galleries, as art and history are her profound passions and driving forces in life. The opportunity of participating in diverse cultural events and exhibiting her work fills Peri with immense joy.

Art as an act of courage

“I dedicate my life to culture and art” – this stand-out sentence was written by Peri in her residency application.

Peri’s journey into the art world is a captivating story. Initially pursuing a career in medicine, she successfully completed her studies and worked as a dentist for a period following her graduation. However, the tumultuous years of 2019 – 2020, marked by the pandemic, catalysed a profound transformation in her life. Dramatic events transpired in Peri’s life and the lives of her friends and family, all the injustices of society made her realise that the oppressed position of women was the theme she cared most about. This, coupled with the feeling that she did not want to be a dentist but rather was compelled to fulfil her family’s expectations and pursue a “proper” profession, led Peri to make a radical decision. On January 1, 2021, she resigned from her medical career and joined her community as an artist, immediately engaging herself in all possible artistic activities. However, she describes this decision as natural and light-hearted, as being an artist had always been the dream of her life.

– All my childhood and youth, I closely observed my grandparents, parents, and all the relatives, witnessing their proficiency in various crafts. It was inevitable that I would inherit these skills and develop a knack for them. My keen eye, sharp memory, inventiveness, and innate sense of justice have contributed to the development of my conceptual vision. I became a repository of not only my personal history but also the collective history of my family and nation. Thanks to a long search for myself, I picked up a lot of handcrafts and techniques. I strive to apply these acquired knowledge effectively in my artistic practice, using them to tell the important stories, Peri tells.

Art for Peri is deeply intertwined with the concept of freedom of expression, which she perceives as a fundamental capacity and the courage to create. This profound understanding of art has been shaped and reinforced by her life experiences and personal growth. Throughout her life, she has been subjected to various restrictions and pressures stemming from propaganda and the rigid norms of patriarchal society.

Kyzyl Kamchy, Femicide, Not Jewellery, Sanzhyra, Mountains of Sorrow, Peris – in her works, Peri explores themes of violence, memory and identity. Through her artistic expression and craftsmanship, she weaves a solid narrative comprising various interweaved pieces.

– My area of interest encloses both personal motivation and social engagement. Occasionally, I experience an overwhelming desire to express my views, and certain installations serve as a medium that helps to do it. At other times, I am deeply concerned about the state of my society. While I´m inside my community where everyone shares similar values and interests, I remain oblivious to the rough things that surround us. However, when I´m unexpectedly outside of my environment, on my way home or during a walk, I suddenly realise how ignorant and evildoing our society is.

I derive pleasure from experimentation, as each new idea presents a challenge that I enjoy solving. I find satisfaction in this process. While some facts from the past or present serve as my starting point, I often deviate from this factual material to create a work based on my intuition and interpretation. This process adds an extra layer of significance and conceptualization to my works, Peri reflects.

“I would kill her anyway”

Kyrgyzstan, a country rarely mentioned in our local news channels, is experiencing a flourishing authoritarian regime that particularly affects vulnerable and minority groups, including women, LGBTQ+ community, and artists who have bravely spoken out for women’s and queer´s rights. At home, Peri and her colleagues face numerous challenges. They struggle to secure financial support, working space and exposure for their projects, while simultaneously working under the constant threat of censorship and persecution. Discussing women’s rights is not appreciated by the patriarchal society, and mentioning the struggles of the queer community is considered LGBTQ+ propaganda, leading to potential repressions, fines and arrests.

In one of her first works titled “Kyzyl Kamchy”, Peri addresses the subject of domestic violence. She created this piece in response to the pandemic, which brought to light an alarming rise in domestic violence cases. The title “Kyzyl Kamchy” translates from Kyrgyz as “Red Whip”, derived from the blood of women who have been beaten by their husbands.

I intended to make this artwork in a manner that would be easily comprehensible and recognisable by all Kyrgyz people and everyone who encounter it. I wanted to express the horror of female violence by a single thin line. Each red whip tells a story of pain, survival, or death of a woman. The statistics of female violence is horrific. There is a wish to collect all existing red whips and throw them out of our lives, so that we can finally release our fears and exit this hell of violence.
— Nurperi Orunbaeva

In her next work, Peri expanded the scope of this topic, creating an installation titled “Femicide”.

The installation comprises 762 female figures. It is based on a study conducted in Kyrgyzstan that documented 762 criminal cases categorised under the article “Murder” involving the killing of women. Notably, most of these murders were perpetrated by men, with 75% of cases involving individuals who knew the victims, such as intimate partners, relatives, or friends. This alarming and silent data quantifies the magnitude of the tragedy, and the profound sense of vulnerability experienced by women, prompting Peri to create this work in a manner that aims to evoke an understanding of the scale of horror within her society.

The idea of this installation originated from Peri’s encounter with a research paper “I would kill her anyway,” authored by KLOOP, an organisation prohibited in Kyrgyzstan.

– The fact that there is violence is known everywhere, but not everyone admits this. I have personally witnessed it within my own family, among my relatives, neighbours, and the families of my friends, all around. Upon reading the research, I was deeply moved, particularly by the fact that men often failed to comprehend the gravity of their actions, overlooking domestic violence as an acceptable norm. Some of them had been planning to kill their wives for several months, and many expressed no regrets for their crimes. The pervasive nature of this violence throughout our lives and the lack of understanding of its wrongfulness have left an indelible mark on us all, perpetuating a sense of injustice. I know so many stories of femicide. They tortured me from inside until I began to talk about them through my works. This is my form of fight for the lives and liberation of women, us, Peri emphasises.

Revisiting traditions

Kyrgyz cultural heritage and traditions, which both characterise and affect Kyrgyz society, hold a significant place in Peri´s works. The controversial nature of many of the traditions, shaped within the context of male dominance, often serves as a catalyst for Peri´s artistic process. She makes an example:

– For instance, there exists a tradition known as Ala Kachuu, which involves the kidnapping of young women with the intention of marrying them. This practice often entails severe violence, confinement, and rape. The abducted girl is left hopeless, this is the end for her, as there is no chance to escape the captor’s house, due to the shame, as it will leave her with a “scar” that would haunt her and her family for the rest of her life. In certain cases, the abducted girl may remain married to her captor for the entirety of her life, while in other instances, the marriage may dissolve within a single year.

“Not Jewellery” installation by Peri is a work that draws inspiration from traditional Kyrgyz crafts and serves as a commentary on the ambivalent nature of patriarchal traditions in Kyrgyz society. While many Kyrgyz traditions are beautiful, solid, and rich, they often play a role of a camouflage for the promotion of patriarchal values. These traditions frequently marginalise female roles, labour, and restrict women’s rights and freedom. These rigid traditions do not decorate society but rather highlight its weakness and impediments to development. Each ring of jewellery cast from lead in this installation is referred to “uyat,” which symbolises the burdensome legacy of patriarchal values that have been passed down through time.

All actions, statements, and events that contain malevolent intentions to humiliate, insult, or kill women do not decorate; this is the ugliness of society.
— Nurperi Orunbaeva

In her work “Sanzhyra” Peri refers to the genealogical book, an ancient spiritual heritage of the Kyrgyz people, that was disseminated orally from generation to generation. This knowledge serves as a means of familiarising individuals with their ancestors and relatives, with the primary objective of preventing incest. In her installation, Peri highlights the absence of female names in her family’s lineage, a genealogical tree that disregards their vital roles and denies their contributions. Through her work, Peri seeks to reclaim the place and recognition of these women.

– During my childhood, we were instructed to become familiar with the names of our relatives and to trace our family lineage predominantly on the paternal side (we were required to know 7 names of our paternal side), where female names were notably absent. My sisters and I frequently questioned this practice, as we were unable to find the names of our grandmothers and mother. We experienced a strong sense of injustice and decided to write our names in the book after our father’s names – it was so much fun, Peri recalls.

In Kyrgyz culture, Sanzhyra is often depicted as a tree. In her own female Sanzhyra, Peri employs a metaphor of tree roots, creating a network of women that symbolises the fundamental origin of any genealogy. Alongside large, white roots resembling long white braids of her grandmothers, there are faces of her colleagues and friends, women from MoFA+, connecting several generations of women. This installation effectively weaves together the subtle presence of heroic female figures of the past with contemporary activists fighting for female rights, making it a vibrant representation of the vital force that sustains our lives.

I believe that the invisible role of women is like these roots: without them the tree would not have sprouted so huge! I deeply respect and actively explore the female lineage in my family history. It’s very important to me. I experience an intense sense of warmth and deep connection to my mother’s line, when I´m working. I perceive my role as a means of honouring women in our genealogy and visualising the profound bond between mothers and women in general.
— Nurperi Orunbaeva

Reclaiming the self

In patriarchal societies, women often grapple with a profound and shared identity crisis stemming from their oppressed position. While acknowledging this injustice, many women succumb to apathy, dismissing any potential for change and ultimately failing to fully embrace their authentic selves. Those who dare to stand up, raise their voices and try to challenge these suppressed conditions encounter an abyss as they search for who they are, a question that was suppressed during their childhood and youth, denying them the opportunity for exploration.

In her work titled “Peris”, Peri initiates a journey of self-discovery by simply gazing into the mirror and drawing what she sees. As she recognises that each time she engages in this process, she discovers a new version of herself, she decides to dedicate herself to this endeavour without rushing it. Her intention extends beyond mere identity exploration; she yearns to embrace this transformative journey with joy and find a sense of self-return, seeking for re-connection with the authentic self that was once taken from her and remains elusive.

– During the pandemic my ground was severely shaken, I had to save myself but also my friends: I had to claim their salaries, deal with threats and blackmail, work tirelessly, and strive to survive. Additionally, I had to provide for my entire family, who were facing significant hardships. One day, as I was walking through one of the corridors, I noticed a silhouette that was moving at the same slow pace as I was. I stopped for a moment and then realised that the silhouette was my reflection in the mirror. I did not recognise myself: my eyes, hair, and features were all foreign to me.

At the age of 26, with my parents still alive, I had transformed into an exhausted, shapeless, dull, and grumpy girl. I had never been able to express myself because I had to be a good girl. No questions about the identity, relationships, or personal development. Then, I began to wonder when this all had started and how it had gone so wrong. I realised that for a long time ago I had been lost in siblings and all my responsibilities.

I´m the first child of my parents, in addition, I´m a daughter. This means that all my life I had to be a third parent, not only for my siblings, but also for my parents. I was never allowed to be a child.

Since my early childhood, as a first-year schoolgirl, I have memories of coming back home after classes and washing asses of my sisters, then cooking food to them, then cleaning the house. This lasted for a very long time. I separated with my parents when I was 29, and only since then did I start to live my own life, I began to take care of myself, invest in myself, listen to myself and love myself, Peri shares.

The driving force of the community

During the Covid, Peri realised that she is not alone in her process and that she was part of a supportive community of women facing similar challenges and seeking solutions. In 2022, she joined MoFA+, where she has progressed through various roles, including volunteer, artist, and curator.

The Central Asian Museum of Feminist and Queer Art (MoFA+) was established in 2019 following the successful exhibition “Femminale”.

– The first Feminnale was a groundbreaking event that garnered substantial attention and resonance. It appears everyone got to know about the exhibition. The public was shocked, and authorities were offended, leading to their immediate attack on the organisers. Altyn Kapalova (one of the MoFA´s founders) suffered greatly from this. Although I was not present at the exhibition, I closely followed the unfolding events on social media, witnessing a real hunt that has begun from all possible sides.

Since the legalisation of the “Propaganda of LGBT” law, our partners and investors (who were relatively few) have stopped their collaboration with MoFA+. We were ordered to cease discussing women’s rights. We have lost our studio and the museum´s art archive had to be relocated and stored at Altyn´s house. Our salaries were dependent on fees generated from participating in projects, and despite our attempts to operate underground, the combination of financial constraints and prohibitions rendered the museum’s functioning impossible. As a result, we are currently taking a so called “creative vacation”, Peri explains.

During the first promising years of MoFA´s life, Peri actively participated in numerous projects, engaging in various creative endeavours such as making artworks, helping with photo and video documentation, taking part in and curating exhibitions and Buddhist art expeditions, as well as art bicycle rides.

– To organise art bicycle rides for female artists, feminists and women supporting other women and the queer community, was the big dream of Altyn.

Ones she made a research based on a questionnaire made to fellow female artists where she asked, amongst other things: “Are you free?”, where the answers were predominantly “yes”. However a subsequent question “Whom do you usually ask for the allowance to meet your friends?” was followed by the replies: “My husband, or my father, or my brother”.

The purpose of the art bicycle ride was to demonstrate to women in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia that we truly possess freedom of movement, Peri describes.

The bicycle ride around lake Ysyk-Köl, which took seven days, has already occurred twice in 2022 and 2023. Peri recounts her exhaustion during the first attempt, describing herself as ambitious, passionate, but very inexperienced as a cyclist.

– During the first ride my face flushed a vibrant red due to all the intense wind and hardcore cycling, and only the strong spirits could sometimes help, Peri recalls, laughing.

Art as a form of resistance and empowerment

However, in the second ride, she had already assumed the roles of organiser and curator. During this ride, Peri also managed to create an installation titled “Mountains of Sorrow”, in which she reflects on the tragic events in the history of her nation.

This ride delves into the tragic history of the Ürkün, a horrific act of ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the Russian Empire in 1916. During this campaign, approximately 40 to 60% of the Northern Kyrgyz population was systematically murdered by Russian forces. Additionally, vast territories were colonised, and numerous animals and treasures were plundered. The genocide compelled countless individuals to flee to China in search of asylum.

“Ürkün” is derived from the Kyrgyz verb “ürküü”, which directly translates to “to shy away in fear” or “to run in panic and recklessly from danger.”

– This word is applicable only while talking about animals, not humans. We thought, it precisely describes the genocide and persecutions committed by the Russian Empire on the territories of Kyrgyzstan. We were collecting the stories of families affected by this horrific mass murder, survivors who returned from China. One such story was recounted by the grandchild of the village major, who vividly described how his grandfather saved his village, but not without the greater cost. He has shown us a mountain that was covered in dead bodies. In my own work, I refer to this story as I wanted to re-create this bloody mountain, which many were unable to climb over, Peri tells.

During Peri’s artist talk in Hvitsten, she emphasised that her artistic practice, as well as those of other women in MoFA+, serves as a form of resistance against the oppressive structures of patriarchal society and colonialism. Their primary objective is to reclaim their personal identities and the identities of their nations, which have been stolen from them.

In her artistic activity, Peri bravely and boldly takes a space, presenting her own unique perspective on both her local social and global contexts.

For the Hvitsten Salon 2025, she crafted a textile art piece entitled “My Heritage”. This work is rooted in the Tushtuk tradition, a unique inheritance passed down from a mother to her daughter. Traditionally, every mother begins preparing her tushtuk for the daughter upon her birth. It is scrupulously handmade from intricate patterns imbued with symbolic meanings, often interwoven with prayers, wishes, and aspirations for a prosperous and fulfilling marriage for her daughter.

Embracing the tradition while asserting her own interpretation, Peri makes her personal version of tushtuk that she dedicates to all the daughters of the world. She highlights:

– My work is a legacy for all the daughters of the world. It serves as a testament to the empowerment of women, inspiring generations to break free from the constraints of traditional roles. It is not an expectation to be passive and obedient wives, nor is it a demand to silence our voices. Instead, it is a call to embrace our true selves and seek liberation from the oppressive structures imposed by patriarchal societies.

In addition to the names of victims of femicide and her personal choice of symbols, on the front of her tushtuk, Peri embroiders the sole wish that is both a spell, a mantra, and a call to action: Erkin bol ajalzat! – Be free, women!

The post Nurperi Orunbaeva: Decolonising the Self through Artistic Practice and Reimagining Ancestral Heritage first appeared on Safemuse.

04 October, Burmese queer film dispatch

Kate — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:34:02 +0000

04 / 10 - burmese queer film dispatch

Yours Queerly presents ‘burmese queer film dispatch’ – a curated selection of four short films from Myanmar, ranging from 2018 to 2025, to illuminate how the queer community is portrayed and represented on screen amidst political and societal limitations. The films serve as a reminder that queer angst and joy are forms of resistance. The line-up will not be revealed prior to the screening. So join us and come in with a bit of faith!

P.S. Brief letters and notes from the filmmakers will be read out before each film.

October 4th, 19:00
Nordic Black Theater
Hollendergata 8, 0190 Oslo

This event is free entry and everyone is welcome.

The screening is curated by Safemuse’s current artist-in-residence, Burmese filmmaker Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn.

The post 04 October, Burmese queer film dispatch first appeared on Safemuse.

Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn: A Dose of Survivor’s Guilt, Recurrent Frustration, and Moments of Overcoming

Kate — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:10:48 +0000

Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn: A Dose of Survivor’s Guilt, Recurrent Frustration, and Moments of Overcoming

August 13, 2025

Written by Kate Ngan Wa Ao

“Artistic Freedom for me is to create despite the government and the powers that be. It is honouring the purest part of a person who wants to create and speak truthfully to oneself. It has now become a privilege, even though it should not be. But it is a privilege I embrace with a dose of survivor’s guilt, recurrent frustration, and eventual brief overcoming of it.”
— Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn

Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn (they/them), born in 1998 in Myanmar, have been in our residency programme Oslo Art Haven since June 2025. Eddie is a storyteller who works primarily with the languages of cinema and photography, though they identify first and foremost as a writer. Their work explores the complexities of gender and sexuality, as well as the transformation of identity through experimental storytelling.

Before 2021, Eddie gained experience working across various organizations and media platforms, including &Proud, a queer organization that celebrates LGBTQ+ lives and advocates for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Myanmar. In 2021, as the political situation in Myanmar deteriorated following the military coup, Eddie fled to Thailand with support from local organizations. They settled in Bangkok, where they began supporting newly arrived Burmese dissidents. They also worked as a researcher at Global Voices from the 2020 elections in Myanmar until 2023.

— I was doing all kinds of jobs in different organizations, researcher, translator, and more, because that was how I could justify leaving home while still feeling like I was contributing. I focused more on community work with other dissidents from Myanmar, as it felt more immediate and urgent. I put my creativity aside for as long as I could, until I no longer could. At the end of 2021, I quit most of my jobs to become a full-time artist, Eddie says.

In 2022, Eddie created a photography project titled Weight, which explored themes of displacement, survivor’s guilt, the burden of political unrest, and their own identity crisis at the time. The project was a success and has been exhibited globally.

They have since completed three short films: Return to Sender (2020), Where the River Ends (2023), and JuJu vs.The Possibilities of Life, Love, and Death? (2024). These films have been screened internationally at different film festivals

Telling Stories of Home From Afar

The stories in Eddie’s films are always set in Myanmar. However, since filming there is no longer possible, they are brought to life in Thailand. This raises a painful question: How does one create work about home while being forced to live away from it?

Eddie grew up in a community-oriented society, and being in a collective environment remains deeply important to them. Eddie would make a deliberate effort to involve Burmese people in their film crews, as many Burmese artists and filmmakers were also exiled to Thailand.

— When I am making a film, I am fully aware that it is not Myanmar, even though the story is set there. For example, in Where the River Ends, we filmed in a forest in Thailand. Because it was in a forest, it made us think: “This could be Myanmar, if we believed it.” That brought a sense of comfort. And that feeling only really came alive because we had Burmese people on the crew. I could hear the Burmese language around me all the time, and for a moment, it felt like home, Eddie recalls.

Leaving Home, Finding Self

In Myanmar, homosexuality and transgender remain criminalized under Section 377 of the Penal Code, a colonial-era law introduced by the British rule in the 19th century. Still in force today, it carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.

After leaving Myanmar, Eddie began to experience a sense of freedom from the country’s deeply homophobic policy and environment, but that freedom came at a cost, leaving behind the Burmese people, leaving home.

— It felt like two separate journeys happening simultaneously. Yes, I had to leave home; it was devastating, and living in exile carries a heavy burden of survivor’s guilt. But at the same time, I am finally able to dress how I want and be who I am as a queer person. Part of me feels liberated, safer, and freer. I am becoming a truer version of myself. And thankfully, along the way, I also found my community with other queer Burmese people in exile, Eddie says.

This dual experience of navigating identity, freedom, and belonging deeply informs Eddie’s work. For example In their film JuJu vs The Possibilities of Love, Life & Death? (2024). The story follows the protagonist JuJu, a Burmese trans femme working at an independent cinema in Bangkok. While there, she encounters another Burmese man, who may or may not have romantic feelings for her. What unfolds is a series of conversations and imagined scenarios in JuJu’s mind, exploring the power of queer representation in mainstream media, queer identity, stereotypes, and the search for love.

New Film Project – Explores Privilege

Eddie said the calm of Oslo is much needed after four years of chaos in Bangkok. They want to use this opportunity to focus on researching and developing the script for their first feature-length film, a thriller set in the 1940s during British colonial rule in Myanmar.

This project explores the complexity of colonization and its dichotomy: between the local who remains oppressed, and the fellow Burmese who returns from abroad, now seen as an outsider. Eddie explains:

— As one of the colonized, people are clearly oppressed, but within that, some start to see the colonizers as the model of ‘success.’ They start to learn their language, work with them, adopt their ways, and often get rewarded with privilege. In British-ruled Myanmar, many Burmese people worked alongside the British. They were given homes, education, and some were even sent abroad to study in England. My question is: does this make them less Burmese?

— While exploring this idea of privilege. I think about my own journey. My artistic career is, in part, ‘elevated’ because my people are being oppressed. If that weren’t the case, would anyone care what I have to say? Am I where I am because of my and my people’s trauma? I guess that is also one of the sources of my survivor’s guilt.

Freedom, Guilt, Heal

Feeling guilty is a complicated and often experienced emotion among exiled artists. Many carry a deep sense of guilt for being away from their homeland. For Eddie, this was no different. Does being an artist help ease survivor’s guilt, or does survivor’s guilt stem from being an exiled artist in the first place?

When Eddie first arrived in Thailand in 2021, survivor’s guilt became their main motivation for making art. It felt less like a choice and more like an urgent necessity. Eddie describes it as almost a physical response, like throwing up, an intense emotional release. They had no other choice but to make art to survive the heaviness they carried. That was when the photography project Weight was born.

— The survivor’s guilt is kind of the cause and the consequence. As an artist, I process my emotions through my art; that is how I cope with what is happening in the world. Guilt kind of pushed me forward. And frankly, in this industry, I would not be where I am without my guilt, because it was once my fuel to make work, Eddie reflects.

But now, Eddie seems to have found a new way to motivate their artistic practice, one rooted in acceptance and the celebration of community.

“Do I still feel survivor’s guilt? Yes, of course. But my motivation has shifted. Now, I want to create art as a celebration of being alive, of having survived, of being in community. I like to call it radical joy, because we all need it.“
— Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn

When asked how to find one’s way through freedom, guilt, and healing, Eddie believes there is no simple answer, as it is an extremely complicated matter, and everyone’s situation is different.

— I wish there were a formula for how to navigate the dilemma of freedom and survivor’s guilt. But there isn’t. Everyone navigates the world in their own way. Some focus on building a career or financial stability, and that is valid; others may feel a strong desire to return home and contribute there, and that is valid, too. Because every experience is valid… Eddie shares.

“Everyone navigates the world in their own unique way. We are all just doing the best we can with what we have.
We all heal in our own time.“
— Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn

Safemuse is looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Eddie and supporting their creative work during their residency with us.

The post Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn: A Dose of Survivor’s Guilt, Recurrent Frustration, and Moments of Overcoming first appeared on Safemuse.

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

Kate — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:29:09 +0000

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from suppression to imagination

July 8, 2025

Written by Kate Ngan Wa Ao

Saba Pouyeshman was born in Karaj, Iran, in 1997 and grew up in a large family. She discovered her passion for acting at a young age, often dressing up and improvising for hours, creating characters. Acting has been a way for her both to connect with the world and to disconnect from it when it becomes overwhelming; it creates a unique safe space for her.

Saba studied Cinema and Screenwriting at university in Iran, but her passion for acting never faded. She eventually pursued a career in theater. After working as an actress for nearly a decade, her journey was challenged by the harsh realities of censorship and the suppression of creative freedom. While working in Iranian theater, she experienced firsthand how freedom of expression was often manipulated as a tool of propaganda. Performance content and dress codes were strictly controlled, making it increasingly difficult for Saba to continue her work.

— When I was working in the theatre in Iran, I was often asked and forced to change my clothing not based on my character’s story, but solely to comply with the Islamic Republic’s strict dress codes, covering my hair and any exposed skin. I was constantly in conflict with myself while performing; I felt like a liar. The more I acted, the more suffocated I felt. Saba says.

— I developed a deep anger toward the endless, senseless limitations placed on artistic freedom. These obstacles not only affect individuals, but they also shape narratives, enforce propaganda in art, and destroy valuable cultural expression. I stepped away from acting, overwhelmed by depression. Saba recalls.

“For a couple of years, I felt disconnected from all art forms. Being an artist under censorship and suppression often felt hopeless. But thankfully, art is more powerful than any dictatorship; it is part of what makes us human and cannot be silenced so easily. Slowly, the spark within me was reignited through a new artistic practice.“
— Saba Pouyeshamn

Where Art Could Begin Again

Saba and another multidisciplinary Iranian artist, Pouya Pour-Amin, participated in Safemuse’s Safe Haven artistic residency program in Hvitsten in the spring of 2024 together, organised in collaboration with local partner Hvitsten Salong. Later, they spent the second part of their residency in Oslo, in collaboration with Nordic Black Theatre.

In Tehran, where she lived in an apartment surrounded by some hostile neighbours who supported the regime, Saba was under constant threat and anxiety, and was close to losing the strength to be an artist. But after moving to Hvitsten, she found herself inspired by the landscape and nature, and since then, she has spent nearly every drawing and painting.

“From Tehran to Hvitsten, from a small, tense apartment to a beautiful house in the woods, right beside the fjord. From hostile, watchful neighbours to the amazing, open-hearted, and warm community of Hvitsten. This shift made me want to be bold and free in my art again. I was finally able to relax and create, says Saba. “
— Saba Pouyeshman

Saba’s drawings were exhibited at Hvitsten Salong in 2024. The residency coordinator at Safemuse and the director of Hvitsten Salong, Jon Lundell, welcomed her and Pouya to their local community. He recalls:

— Saba, who has a multidisciplinary background, worked in several different art forms at Hvitsten Art Haven. She has a prominent role as an actress in the making of the play Prison Episodes together with Pouya Pouramin, and she has also been exploring and working more comprehensively with drawings.

— Both Saba and Pouya were a delight to have in Hvitsten! It is not always easy to come into a new reality in a small community like this, but their personalities, presence, warmth, and genuine interest in other people made it a simple joy to work with and facilitate.

Reborn in Dark Mytholog

After a temporary farewell to acting, Saba became interested in the theoretical side of art, particularly art history. She studied The History of Modern Art and The History of Modern Sculpture independently, and researched motifs in Iranian fabrics and pottery, as well as modern painting in Iran. These studies of visual traditions and symbolism, especially those rooted in mythology, have become the main inspiration for her artistic work now.

During her artist residency in Norway, Saba developed a new way to connect her past and present, merging performance and visual art into a distinctive practice. She once again dressed up as characters, but this time used her body and gestures not only as expressive tools, but also for mark-making, storytelling, and reclaiming her voice through the whole process of image-making.

— For example, in Fairy Invoker, I draw from Iranian folklore about the Fairy Caller, who traps fairies for good or bad purposes, some to save the world, others to destroy it. I imagine myself as one of these trapped fairies, each carrying different emotions and stories: fleeing, struggling, angry, calm, or meditative. I set up my camera to capture my movements and gestures as those fairies. Later, I drew the characters I once created and performed, Saba says.

— This is where my artistic practice lives, connected with storytelling, memories, and folklore. I want to explore what lies between reality and the supernatural; the visible and the invisible; the spoken and the unspoken. My performances are based on imagination, ancestral ghosts, childhood fears, and playful spirits. For me, life is aligned with magic, talismans, jinns, demons, fairies… Saba says.

Myth, Wonder, and New Beginnings

Saba has many dreams to fulfill and continues to look forward. Now being in Norway, she is excited to learn more about Norse mythology, not just through books, but through the landscape, people, and living traditions. One of her artistic goals is to explore stories from the dark realms of mythology through different artistic media. She is deeply drawn to the mysterious, magical, and sometimes eerie elements of folklore and believes these stories hold powerful potential, not to frighten, but to inspire imagination, strength, and curiosity. Her goal is to create work that speaks to a raw and honest sense of wonder, inviting deeper questions and new ways of thinking.

— Mythological stories have the power to plant a seed of doubt, and I believe doubt is a beautiful and essential part of life. It’s often the first step toward thinking differently, asking deeper questions, and ultimately creating something new. Doubt opens the door to wonder, and through my art, I want to offer that door to others, says Saba.

Since July 2025, Saba has joined Safemuse as part of the Aspirant Scheme, a fellowship supported by Arts Council Norway. The programme will provide her with opportunities to gain experience in the arts and culture field, while also supporting her development as an artist. She will be working with Safemuse as well as other organisations and festivals, including Hvitsten Salong, Nordic Black Theatre, Empowering Voices, and JM Norway, with exciting possibilities for new collaborators to join along the way.

We are very much looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Saba and witnessing how she shares her magical spirit with the world.

The post Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination first appeared on Safemuse.

Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

Akari — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 07:33:17 +0000

Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

June 20, 2025

Written by Akari Izumi Kvamme

Pouya Pour-Amin is a multidisciplinary artist with over twenty years of experience in music, composition, sound design and performance. Born in Tehran in 1983 into a family that worked in the arts, Pouya grew up in a creative environment. His mother was a puppeteer and actress, his father was a cinematographer, and his grandfather was an instrumentalist who played the tar – a traditional Iranian string instrument. Pouya began learning music when he was five years old and by his late teens he was making his own music.

As a university student, he began to study computer science, music and theatre, but dropped out three times because he felt that the studies and academic system did not have much to offer him. He continued to study through self-learning and private teachers. Pouya played the guitar, but his love for the low frequencies led him to take up the double bass, which he coincidentally discovered while studying at the Tehran Conservatory. Later Pouya joined the contemporary chamber orchestra, The Camerada Orchestra, where he spent a decade of tremedous musical growth under the guidance the conductor Kayvan Mirhadi, who had also been his musical teacher. His very first works as a composer were performed by Mirhadi’s orchestra.

Looking back, Pouya’s grandfather, Akbar Jeddikar, and the conductor of the Camerada Orchestra, Kayvan Mirhadi, were his biggest inspirations growing up:

— They were both very special people to me, opened my eyes to the worlds of music and literature and became my window to the world beyond the strict religious Iranian society, he says.

— My grandfather first of all influenced me as a human being. He was not religious and did not believe in God, something which was very rare for his generation and in Iranian society in general. We had a very close relationship. He was open-minded and introduced me to politics and critical thought through his vast collection of literature. Kayvan Mirhadi, the conductor, was also my classical teacher, but did not have the dogma-point-of-view that most educators had. Instead he was wise and had an open view to the arts and to different kinds of music. He introduced me to Western contemporary music, which opened my eyes and made me realise that there was so much to explore and learn, Pouya recalls.

“While living in Iran, I worked a lot in fear. I had to find secret ways, like put my phone in the microwave to avoid being tapped, and I lived under the constant fear of getting in trouble with the authorities.”
— Pouya Pour-Amin

The struggle for artistic freedom

Artists in Iran who refuse to stay silent in the face of the country’s authorities and current sociopolitical situation pay a high price for their expression. Over the last years, the Iranian government has taken on increasingly harsh measures to suppress artistic freedom of expression and exert control over artists through threats, censorship and persecution.

Pouya laments the ongoing situation in his homecountry whereby artists, writers and journalists are frequently subjected to superveillance, interrogations, detention, imprisonment, torture, and even the death penalty to punish those who dare to question or criticise the system. Pouya has many friends and colleagues who have received death threats, been forced to flee the country and live in exile. He, too, has felt the heavy burden of being an artist without freedom of expression.

— While living in Iran, I worked a lot in fear. I had to find secret ways, like put my phone in the microwave, to avoid being tapped and I lived under the constant fear of getting in trouble with the authorities. Sometimes I chose not to put my name on my work to avoid getting in trouble. The thought that someone could call the door bell to detain me, plant evidence and present untrue allegations was constantly in the back of my mind, he says.

Pouya used to work with different people from various creative industries in Iran, but in his first act of conscious political reaction, he decided to stop working with TV and cinema because he felt like the cultural scene was corrupted and a channel for propagating the state’s lies. He began to work with theatre, but it became evident that this industry, too, was a corrupted sphere. In a culture where questioning and confronting was highly discouraged, Pouya refused to be silenced and raised the question of why the industry did not pay its artists properly. After he took to the street and joined the marches during the Green Movement in 2010, Pouya was imprisoned twice. During the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in 2022, Pouya again took to the streets to partake in the demonstrations that were televised across the world, and felt the fear more than ever before.

— Artistic freedom for me is twenty years of struggling with propaganda, with censorship and a corrupted economy, he says. Even when you are independent, you are at risk if you want to raise questions about politics, the regime or religion, human rights. And it’s only getting worse and worse.

“To have artistic freedom now is a totally new feeling for me. I didn’t know how it would feel. When I look back at this short period I have worked in freedom, I can see that things have started changing in the ways that I think and create art.”
— Pouya Pour-Amin

From prison to Safe Haven and the rebirth of an artist

Since 2011, Pouya has expanded his work to include theatre, juggling the roles of musician, actor and director. His music has gradually transitioned into the more experimental and electronic realms. In May of 2024, he travelled to Norway to partake in Safemuse’s Safe Haven artistic residency program. The first part of his artistic residency was spent in the idyllic coastal town of Hvitsten, organised in collaborations with our local partner Hvitsten Salong. Thereafter, Pouya has spent the second part of his residency in Oslo, in collaboration with our partner Nordic Black Theatre.

Through the Safe Haven program, Pouya has continued to evolve as a multidisciplinary artist and developing his creative practice through a blend of music, performance and theatre. Since arriving in Norway as an artist-in-residence, he has composed several works and performed at Ultimafestivalen – the largest contemporary music festival in the Nordic region, as well as Hvitsten Salong and at Caféteatret.

— When I arrived Norway and could breathe out after so many years of living in a state of exception and survival mode, I also realised that I was worn-out after having denied and neglected my own needs and wellbeing. I realised the constant fear I had been living under and how worn-out I was. Living in Hvitsten surrounded by beautiful nature, I was for the first time feeling everything I had not had the chance to feel prior to arriving Norway, especially related to my experience in prison and how hard it had actually been, Pouya says.

The residency coordinator in Safemuse Jon Lundell, is one of many that have worked with Pouya since his arrival to Norway and been impressed by his dedication, versatility and courage to explore new artistic directions:

— Pouya have been exploring and digging deeper in composing new music for different scenes in Oslo and Hvitsten; commissioned work that has challenged him to seek new ways of composing and combining digital and analog instruments and sounds. He has also taken the work with his play Prison Episodes further and is developing it with different artists and partners.

In 2015, Pouya released his first album “Lullaby and Down the Quod” based on his own experience as a political prisoner. His second album, “Prison Episodes” (check out the Bandcamp link), which was released in 2019, was inspired by his study of other Iranian prisoners’ experiences. During his residency in Norway, Pouya’s main artistic ambition is to complete his project Prison Episodes which he has been developing over many years. Together with Safemuse, partners and other artists, Pouya is planning a multidisciplinary performance that combines music, dance, theatre and visual technology to tell the story of the tragedy of political prisoners and their subjection to torture, suffering, solicitations and death. On top of that, he has also begun to record a new album, which he hopes to release in 2026.

Pouya says he has learned a lot of things through the Safemuse residency, not just artistically, but about life and himself:

— I love my culture and I cannot cut that string, but now I am in a position to decide how I want to work with it and to tell my story. To have artistic freedom now is a totally new feeling for me. I didn’t know how it would feel. When I look back at this short period I have worked in freedom, I can see that things have started changing in the ways that I think and create art. When you no longer have barriers in your mind, you starts to think differently and your passions start changing. With no imposed limitations, I think my artistic language has already started to change. I feel like the blinds are gone. While I have been working on my newest album, I can see that I am going in new directions that I would never have imagined before.

Safemuse looks forward to continue the collaboration with Pouya and share more about his upcoming events and projects!

The post Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom first appeared on Safemuse.

Safemuse

Tara Abdullah: The Girl from The Cigarette Factory

Tara Abdullah: The Girl from The Cigarette Factory

Written by Aliona Pazdniakova

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Open call for artists in need of a safe residency to develop their art

Open call for artists in need of a safe residency to develop their art

Oslo Art Haven & Hvitsten Art Haven programmes 2027/2028

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Vi stenger døren for dem som forsvarer menneskerettighetene

Vi stenger døren for dem som forsvarer menneskerettighetene

Det har blitt langt vanskeligere for menneskerettighetsforsvarere å få visum til Norge og andre Schengen-land. Dermed hindres de i å delta der beslutningene tas, og vi bidrar til å svekke kampen for rettigheter og demokrati.

Norge følger ikke opp viktige oppdateringer

Venter på svar

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Exhibition – Art Captures

Exhibition - Art Captures

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Ytringsfrihet i teori og praksis – den oversette kunstneren

Ytringsfrihet i teori og praksis – den oversette kunstneren

Debattinnlegg skrevet av: Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor (daglig leder i Safemuse) og Hans Ole Rian (Styreleder, Safemuse)

Å forsvare ytringsfrihet krever mer enn kritikk av sensur i autoritære stater.

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Nurperi Orunbaeva: Decolonising the Self through Artistic Practice and Reimagining Ancestral Heritage

Nurperi Orunbaeva: Decolonising the Self through Artistic Practice and Reimagining Ancestral Heritage

Written by Aliona Pazdniakova

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

04 October, Burmese queer film dispatch

04 / 10 - burmese queer film dispatch

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn: A Dose of Survivor’s Guilt, Recurrent Frustration, and Moments of Overcoming

Eddie Htet Aung Lwyn: A Dose of Survivor’s Guilt, Recurrent Frustration, and Moments of Overcoming

Written by Kate Ngan Wa Ao

“Do I still feel survivor’s guilt? Yes, of course. But my motivation has shifted. Now, I want to create art as a celebration of being alive, of having survived, of being in community. I like to call it radical joy, because we all need it.“

“Everyone navigates the world in their own unique way. We are all just doing the best we can with what we have.

We all heal in our own time.“

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from supperssion to imagination

Saba Pouyeshman: Rewriting the spell, from suppression to imagination

Written by Kate Ngan Wa Ao

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

Pouya Pour-Amin: An artist’s journey from fear to freedom

Written by Akari Izumi Kvamme

“While living in Iran, I worked a lot in fear. I had to find secret ways, like put my phone in the microwave to avoid being tapped, and I lived under the constant fear of getting in trouble with the authorities.”

“To have artistic freedom now is a totally new feeling for me. I didn’t know how it would feel. When I look back at this short period I have worked in freedom, I can see that things have started changing in the ways that I think and create art.”

© Safemuse Organisation - Oslo/Norway

Debattinnlegg skrevet av:
Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor (daglig leder i Safemuse) og Hans Ole Rian (Styreleder, Safemuse)