Abdulrahim Alkendi

Term: May 2018

Sponsored by: STAL Gallery

Supported by German-Omani-Association:

Instagram: @aboodeen

For the second time, we were delighted to host the winner of the Young Emerging Artist Prize, awarded by the STAL Gallery in Muscat, Sultanat Oman. The art prize promotes young female and male artists of the country and grants the winners opportunities for exhibition and art education. As part of the prize, the awardee of 2017, Abdulrahim Alkendi, came to stay in LIA for one month, in May 2018. He is a young multimedia and conceptual artist and filmmaker, usually working in the film and advertisement branch. During his stay in LIA and Leipzig, Abdulrahim could work alongside other international artists and develop an own artistic project.

In his work “14 Words for Love”, Abdulrahim Alkendi focused on 14 Arabic words or phrases that stand for a certain aspect or state of mind, that are connected with love and are associated with the Arabic poetry tradition. These words were translated into a symbolic emoji code language and printet each onto a acrylic plate that reminds to smartphones or tablets. In times of ubiquitous digital communication, Alkendi was interested in the question of how such complex emotions of love, desire or despair can be coded in an universal, but inpersonal, highly contracted language and hence can have an effect on relationships and coexistence – not without an ironic undertone that is typical for Alkendi‘s works. In contrast to this contemporary view and interpretation of somehow romatic feelings and linked to poetry tradition, Abdulrahim Alkendi installed the acryl prints of emoji love-codes together with dried, headlong hanging spring-flowers, he picked himself in Leipzig.

Education:

2017 Gulf College, Bachelors in Computer Science
2015 Filmmaking workshop, New York Film Academy
2012 Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders on New Media, Washington State University


Professional Experience:

2013 –present: Creative Director, Akkasafilm production


Exhibitions:

2017 StalPrize Exhibition, Won StalPrize for Young Emerging Artist, Oman
2016 LoudArt, Oman
2015 Expressions of ideas, Gallery Sarah, Oman
2014 Solo exhibition, Bait Al ZubairMuseum, Oman

 

Download: Portfolio of Abdulrahim Alkendi