Residency
Ayad Alkadhi
His use of street art language, Arabic newspaper on mixed-media canvases, as well as his use of calligraphy, connects elements of traditional media to contemporary art. This collision produces images that ultimately express the artist’s concern with the polarities of Middle Eastern politics. He has exhibited internationally and his most recent exhibitions include: "Umbilical", Leila Heller Gallery, New York, Abu Dhabi Art; "Cross-Currents: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Art of the Islamic World" at Colorado College I.D.E.A Space, ArtSpace Gallery, Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE; “The Seen and Hidden”, Austrian Cultural Forum, NY; “Tarjama/Translation”, Queens Museum of Art and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum in New York; the Station Museum in Houston, Texas; and the Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah in the UAE. Alkadhi currently lives and works in New York City.
Ayad Alkadhi’s residency was in partnership with the Intersections Program at the University of Hawai’i Department of Art and Art History. As part of his residency, Alkadhi presented a public lecture Quest to Belong on his work at the University of Hawai’i Department of Art and Art History Auditorium. He also conducted studio visits with University of Hawai’i graduate students.