Hayv Kahraman

The essence of Hayv Kahraman's visual language derives from a vocabulary rich in narrative, memory, and the fluid dynamics characteristic of diasporic cultures. Her experience as an Iraqi refugee turned émigré deeply informs this language. Within her painting practice, the body holds a central role, functioning both as an object and subject. In a composite manner, she embodies not only herself as an artist but also a collective identity

Biography of Hayv Kahraman

Hayv Kahraman was born in 1981 in Baghdad, Iraq. In 2005, she completed her studies at the Accademia di arte e design di Firenze in Florence, Italy. One year later, she graduated from the University of Umeå in Sweden.

Her recent solo exhibitions include "Look Me in the Eyes" at ICA San Francisco in San Francisco (2024), "The Foreign in Us" at The Moody Center for the Arts in Houston (2024), "Hayv Kahraman: The Touch of Otherness" at SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah (2022), "Hayv Kahraman: The Touch of Otherness" at Vielmetter Los Angeles in Los Angeles (2021), and many more. 

Hayv Kahraman has participated in group exhibitions held at various venues worldwide, including Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, The British Museum in London, Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, among others.

Recognized for her creative excellence, Kahraman was shortlisted for the prestigious Jameel Prize at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2011 and 2018. Additionally, she has been honored with the "Excellence in Cultural Creativity" award by the Global Thinkers Forum, further solidifying her status as a visionary artist shaping the cultural landscape.

Currently, Hayv Kahraman resides in Los Angeles, where she continues to work.