Estabrak
b. 1986, Iraq

Estabrak, born in 1986, is an award-winning Visual Artist and Film Maker originally from Iraq. Born in Iran and raised in London, she moved to the UK with her family as a refugee at a very young age. Estabrak's works are fuelled by the concepts of existing in places we cannot exist in for long periods of time. Her works express a transient nature with the subject often in a peripatetic state.

With an arts background from Central Saint Martins and a Masters in Film and Media Production, she has had her work presented to the UN as well as being commissioned and supported by numerous organisations including ‘The Helen Tetlow Memorial Fund’ and ‘The Al Serkal Cultural Foundation’. Previous works have been showcased internationally across New York, Dubai, Berlin, and London, exhibiting along the way at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and Tate Britain.

Credentials

Solo exhibition
International group exhibitions
Art Fair participant
Museum exhibition
Award winner

Artist Statement

Estabrak’s works are generally fueled by the concepts of existing in places we cannot exist for long periods of time, something well represented through the use of water in her latest multidisciplinary collection ‘Consciousness’, which sees her prize winning, limited edition, underwater photographic series ‘Omanis Under Water’ (OUW) showcased. (OUW) looks at the ignored socio-political discourses of Omani society through a simple but complex matter that connects us all; water. Through this, the series helps shine a light on some of those traditions & faces usually gone unnoticed via the normalisation of societal uniform.

Since starting the project late 2014/early 2015, her works from this series have gone to be exhibited in London, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Sharjah and most recently at the Brighton Photo Fringe 2016, winning curator’s choice for the Danny Wilson Memorial Award 2016. All in addition to being shortlisted for a number of awards as well as winning some prizes including being officially selected for the Royal Academy of the Arts Summer Exhibition 2016. It is the first part of a proposed global series of underwater photographic works intended to look at societies, people and it’s dysfunctions through the element of water.

Recently she was supported by ‘Mawa3eed Travel Grant’ to partake with a project in Morocco with her unique style of storytelling; LPP (Live.Projection.Painting) where she uses her multidisciplinary techniques to paint films to life, live. She presented ‘Tales of the Mother tongue’ at her first Biennale; The 6th Marrakesh Biennale 2016 (MB6), which has recently gone on to tour in Venice/Italy and Brighton/UK.

She helped create this process (LPP) back in 2012 along with her all female London collaborative; Thre3 Strokes. Since 2014 she has been developing & working on her solo collection of LPPs internationally, bringing this unique art form to the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Residencies

2018 Sacatar Residency, Bahia, Brazil
2017 SEAS (Socially Engaged Art Salon) Residency, Brighton, UK

Solo Exhibitions

2015 'Consciousness’, Sarah Gallery, Muscat, Oman

Group Exhibitions

2018 'This is my Era', Donut Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2017 'Tales of the Mother tongue: Part 02&03', AFAC (Arab Fund for Arts & Culture) funded performance project, Morocco
2017 Annual exhibition of artworks rejected by the RA Summer exhibition, Salon des Refusés, London, UK
2017 'Thread of Light', P21 Gallery, London, UK
2017 Society and Culture, Meet the Artist and Creative Debuts, London, UK
2017 Video Art day #WarRemembrance, Venice, Italy
2016 I want my country back, Art Licks Weekend official selection, London, UK
2016 Watercolour portrait paintings, Meet the Artists, London, UK
2016 Vantage Point Sharjah 04, Sharjah Arts Foundation, Sharjah, UAE
2016 Omanis Under Water, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
2016 Tales of the Mother Tongue, B#SIDE WARE festival, Venice, Italy
2016 Omanis Under Water, Socially Engaged Art Salon, Brighton, UK
2016 Live Projection Painting (LPP), Parallel projects, Tales of the Mother Tongue, 6th Marrakech Bienniale, Marrakech, Morocco
2016 Omanis Under Water’, ARTROOMS, London, UK
2016 Painting projection, Loud Art, Muscat, Oman
2015 Omanis Under Water, Art Jameel 2015 Photographic prize, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2015 Live Projection Painting (LPP), Art Sawa, Dubai, UAE
2015 Sikka Art Fair, Heritage House (part of Alserkal exhibition), Dubai, UAE
2015 Place of Silence, Stal Gallery, Muscat, Oman
2014 The Master’s Revenge, Poetry Short Film, 7th Zebra Poetry Film Festival, Literaturwerkstatt, Berlin, Germany
2013 Live Projection Painting (LPP), Eid Fatima, CineAlt, Marrakech, Morocco
2013 Live Projection Painting (LPP), Transcendence & Transformation, Centro de Experimentacão e Criacão Artística, Loule, Portugal
2013 Passing Clouds ‘Lyrically Challenged’, London, UK
2012 Live Projection Painting (LPP) Panomega, Arts Omega, London, UK
2012 Concrete Le Scratch, London, UK
2011 Caterpillars & butterflies, short film, Northern Lights Film Festival, London, UK
2010 MA Caterpillars & butterflies, short film, Showroom Cinema, Sheffield, UK
2008 Self portrait with Aunt & Rebecca, Two channel video installation, TATE Britain & ‘Imagine Art After’, London, UK
2005 Online photographic exhibition, Imagine Art After, Guardian Unlimited Online, London, UK

Estabrak b. 1986, Iraq

Estabrak
b. 1986, Iraq