Dimen Hama Abdulla, a multifaceted artist whose work spans playwriting, dramaturgy, painting, and sculpture. Born in Kurdistan in 1984, she arrived in Sweden at the age of six, carrying the weight of migration and the responsibility to tell her story. Her debut monologue, On All Fours, received critical acclaim, marking the beginning of a prolific career in theater.
Yet, behind the scenes, Dimen’s visual art remained a deeply personal practice—until now. With her latest exhibition, Resting Fallow, she invites us into a world where words and images intertwine, exploring themes of survival, restoration, and creative renewal. In this conversation, we delve into her artistic journey, the symbolism behind her latest works, and the dialogue between her visual and literary expressions.
What inspired the title Lie Fallow for your exhibition?
“Lie fallow” is a concept in farming related to letting the soil rest and allowing hidden “things” to process. Lie fallow, besides being a very beautiful and poetic phrase, carries the meaning of being in fruitful solitude.
How does the concept of “Fallow” connect to your personal and artistic journey?
To Lie Fallow is a cyclic process of dying, being, and blossoming. For me, it’s a story of becoming.
Your works often merge the abstract with the figurative. How do you navigate these two realms in your art?
It’s a process about being responsive to the intuitive and the intentional. The “navigating” is a practice of listening to what is happening in the work.
How has your relationship with visual art evolved over the years?
I’ve always had a relationship with visual art, since the first time I saw my first cartoon. Then I started to draw—as every child does—but I continued and never stopped.
What role do materials play in your creative process?
A significant one; for me, a painting is a sensory practice. The materiality is part of the joy and pleasure— the fabric of the paper, the pigments of the color, the density and softness of pastels.
Your work often reflects themes of survival and migration. How do these experiences influence your visual art?
I wouldn’t say that my work often has themes of survival and migration; rather, these are part of my history and what has formed me. I don’t want to set a theme on my work. I think language sometimes pins art, and even if it’s alluring to define it through language, I don’t want that. For me, it’s more that “things” are encapsulated in the pictures, but the paintings themselves aren’t meant to be read as a theme of migration and survival.
You’ve worked across multiple artistic disciplines—writing, dramaturgy, and visual art. How do these practices complement each other?
One is the discipline of the hand, one of the heart, and one of the head.
What’s next for you after Lie Fallow? Are there any new projects or collaborations in the works?
I am very happy to be the external examiner for the artist Jaana-Kristin Alakoski in two weeks. I am working on a theater play for Stockholm Stadsteater, and I am teaching at Biskops-Arnö. I want to put some love and focus into these and create peace and space to return to painting.
Dimen Hama Abdulla / Saskia Neuman Gallery
Lie Fallow
On view 07.11—19.12.2024
