Houda Terjuman | Artist

Houda Terjuman, born in Tangiers, Morocco, to a Syrian father and Swiss mother, uses her floating sculptures and paintings to tell the story of migration, exile, attachment to roots and the search for identity. Her surrealistic works take us on a long journey through the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

"The history of my practice is overwhelmingly informed by my status as hybrid migrant, a condition associated to second generation migrants. My father is Syrian, my mother Swiss and I was born in Morocco. I am therefore African. The transient nature of my evolution as a person and as an artist opened up fascinating ways of playing with representation in art. My father as a first-generation migrant used to tell us that we had no safety net and the integration in another country was necessary. However, I chose to refuse the concept and the practice of assimilation and instead, I cherished the status of hybridity which to me, offers a rich mix of backgrounds, voices, and belongings.

My sculptures and paintings are little familiar objects that weave stories. These small objects act as bearers of hope and bridges making the link between cultures. An empty chair symbolises what we left behind and keeps us connected to our roots. A lonely boat is a bearer of hope. A floating bridge invites us to build connections and empathy towards the unknown."

 

Houda Terjuman - Drifting to oblivion II , 2023 - Oil and acrylic on canvas - 110x102cm

Exhibitions & Awards

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024 | “Echoes of vanishing lands” African Arty, Casablanca
2023 | “Glide through evanescent lands” Berlin Germany Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery
2022 | “When hope smells like petrichor” Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery london UK
2019 | Galerie Siniya 28 Untold stories Marrakech Morocco
2019 | Artistic research project “because these wings are no longer wings to fly” with Arts Cabinet London UK
2019 | Art Research and Migration Workshop- Goldsmiths College 25 April London
2018 | Performance Art live at l’Institut du Monde Arabe during la Nuit Blanche “un œil ouvert sur le monde arabe” with the collaboration of ff creative Paris

2018 | Casa Arabe november 15th to December 13th january Madrid Spain

2018 | Collaboration with Alex Hammersly and Hollandridge Group London Uk

2013 | Voice gallery Marrakech Morocco
2011 | Galerie d’art Espace Expressions CDG Rabat Morocco

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 | Contemporary dilemmas eternal displacements rofaprojects USA Potomac

2022 | Group show Orlando museum of art “Don’t ask me where I’m from”
2022 | Re-Composing Art Exhibition Palazzo Bembo Venice
2022 | “Don’t ask me where I’m from” Aga Khan Museum Alberta Art gallery

2022 | Touring exhibition Aga Khan Museum Imago Mundi at the Alberta Art Gallery of Edmonton Canada april
2021 | “Thinking out loud” Pulpo gallery Murnau am staffelsee Germany
2021 | Kristin Hjellegjerde at schloss goerne August 7 Germany
2021 | Galerie Géraldine zberro Paris France
2020 | Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery 20th of november London UK
2020 | February Group exhibition Don’t Ask Me Where Im From Aga Khan Museum Toronto Canada
2019/2020 | Touring exhibition with the Aga Khan Museum and Imago Mundi ” Hybrid migrant ” Treviso, Toronto Vancouver Houston Dallas Paris London lisbon and Dubaï
2019 | ” Wondrous Worlds ” gallery Michael Haas Berlin Germany
2019 | ” Œuvres et recherches ” galerie GVCC du 21 décembre au 10 janvier Casablanca Morocco
2018 | Galerie 21 Geneva Switzerland
2018 | 15 September BLACK SPHINX II Primae Noctis Gallery Lugano Switzerland
2018 | GVCC, Casablanca, Morocco
2018 | Primo Marella Gallery “La Sfinge Nera II” Milan Italy
2016 | Exposition collective Musée Mohammed VI Rabat Morocco
2016 | “Merchants of dreams ” Brandts 13 Denmark
2016 | “Merchants of dreams” Viborg Kunsthal Denmark
2015 | Musée Mohammed VI d’art contemporain Rabat Morocco
2015 | “Luxury is dirt« Voice gallery Marrakech Morocco
2015 | “Femmes et religion” Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc Rabat Morocco

 

ART FAIRS

2023 | Menart Fair Palais Iena Paris France september

2023 | 1:54 art fair London UK october
2023 | Art Dubaï
2022 | Art Dubaï
2021 | Art Miami art fairs Art Winwood feb 24- March 16

2020 | Intersect Chicago Nov 6-12 2020 USA
2020 | SWAB Art Fair october 2020 Barcelona Spain

2020 | February 1:54 African Contemporary Art Fair Marrakech Morocco
2019 | Art Nocturne Knocke art fair Belgium
2019 | Art Bodense Dornbin Austria
2018 | VOLTA SHOW 14 Basel Switzerland
2017 | AKAA Art Fair Paris France
2016 | 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair London UK

2016 | AKAA also known as Africa
2015 | 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair London UK

2014 | ARTISSIMA Art Fair Turin

 

COLLECTIONS
SUSU Collection
The Bunker Artspace Museum
Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
Musee d’Art Contemporain Mohammed VI in Rabat, Morocco
Foundation Imago Mundi, Treviso, Italy