< Waiting >

Niusha Khanmohammadi

Art Yourself Atelier is delighted to showcase "Waiting", the vibrant digital debut spotlighting the watercolor wonders of Niusha Khanmohammadi, a fresh face in Sweden's lively art scene. Step into a world of fluid hues and dreamy landscapes as we celebrate the blossoming journey of a creator who brings a splash of color and a breath of fresh air to the canvas. Join us in witnessing the emergence of a talent who embodies the refreshing and tranquil spirit of watercolor artistry.

Artist's Biography

Born and raised in a small town in the north of Sweden with Iranian heritage, the contrasts between two very different cultures have been an important pillar of her upbringing, and the main inspiration for Niusha's art.

With ink and watercolor, she is peeling the layers of shared arts, language, culture, and history within societies and cultures. Self-taught, she has been painting since childhood and embarked on her artistic career in 2019 while living in Sarajevo, going on to exhibit her work the following year in Istanbul. Using watercolor, acrylic, and ink on paper and canvas, her abstract pieces have a distinctive expressionism style. At the same time, her portraits often highlight subtle forms and shapes, with an emphasis on capturing female contemplation and body language, through elegant lines and playful use of color.

Her mixed heritage represents a nexus of syntheses, paths, and tensions which has all inspired, and found expression in her art. Exploring the cultural, linguistic, and socio-historic forces that underpin the formation of community identity, her art has been shaped by her work on gender equality in seven different countries for the United Nations and the European Union in the field of gender equality. Despite these preoccupations, she seeks to foreground the emotive aspects of her work, believing it best equips and compels the viewer to engage with the subtexts in a visceral and fundamentally meaningful way.

Being a woman on the move, she has had the privilege of calling many different places home. Using the arts is a way of capturing the emotions of processing the moves and exploring new cultures. She uses different tools to understand layers of searching and creating homes, and to capture the essential communal identities and intercultural dialogue that underpins the many interwoven layers of shared arts, language, and history she encounters.

About the Solo Exhibition

《Waiting》

Waiting, to go from one place to another. Waiting, for one's time to come.

In the act of waiting, Niusha finds herself suspended between the past and the future, between longing and fulfillment, between heartache and joy. It's in this delicate balance that the true poetry of life unfolds for her. Like a symphony of emotions, waiting orchestrates her highs and lows, the crescendos of anticipation, and the quiet interludes of reflection.

Waiting is the canvas upon which Niusha paints her dreams, the stage upon which her hopes and fears perform a dance of uncertainty. In the moments of waiting, she discovers the depths of her patience, the resilience of her spirit, and the profound connections she forges with others who share in this journey.

Spending many days of the year in between homes, Niusha often finds herself waiting, not sure for what or whom. Over time, the feeling of waiting has, by itself, built a strong sense of home for her.

How does one like to spend their time while waiting? Waiting can feel very different, and present itself in many forms and shapes. It can be as sweet as the taste of the first strawberry of the year on one's tongue, fireworks created by the sun. It can shake the very core of one and everything they know to the ground, leaving them empty-handed.

What does one do while they are waiting? Niusha tries to capture those feelings and draw the expressions of the body and the soul.

With each brushstroke of watercolor and ink, she invites you to step into the heart of her journey, one that has been deeply shaped by her waiting - moving from the places she's ventured and the experiences she's embraced. Her work bears witness to the vibrant streets of that one place she calls home, where the waves of the Bosporus dance with the seagulls and the wind brings you the sweetness of cinnamon and cardamom, time seems to sway to its own rhythm in Istanbul.

They echo the tranquil solitude Niusha found within the greens of Sweden, where nature's whispers spoke louder than any words. They capture the chaos of the streets of Beirut, alive with a frenetic energy, and the timeless frames of the Parisian bridges, where her world would slow down while sitting and watching people go from one place to another. The watercolor, framed by the thin lines of ink, is a reflection of the ebb and flow of her emotions during these journeys. It mirrors the delicate hues of hope that danced in her heart when she found herself amidst strangers and the deep, indigo shades of uncertainty that clouded her thoughts when the path ahead was unclear.

Ink, conversely, lends structure to Niusha's narrative of waiting, much like the milestones etched in memory during her sojourns. It outlines the figures in the midst of their own waiting, whether it's a solitary figure on a platform or a crowd gathering in collective anticipation. It's the ink that preserves these moments, like postcards from her journey.

As you stand before these canvases, Niusha invites you to reflect on your waiting, whatever or whoever it might be for, as if you're revisiting your own travels and your own moments while waiting. Trace the brushstrokes, follow the lines, and let the colors evoke your own memories. Through this visual dialogue, she aims not only to share her interpretation of waiting but to evoke your reflections on belonging, the moments when you've questioned your place, and the journeys you've yet to embark upon.

In this exhibition, you embark on a personal exploration together, where Niusha's art intertwines with your own experiences, all narrated through the delicate interplay of watercolor and ink. It's an invitation to not only witness but to feel the beauty and complexity of waiting, to lose yourself in the places she's been and the places she yearns to go, all captured through the lens of her heart and brush.

As your journey through 'Waiting' draws to a close, Niusha is reminded of the profound beauty and profound complexity that waiting encompasses. It's a thread that weaves through the tapestry of our lives, connecting us all in a shared human experience.

As you depart from this exhibition, Niusha invites you to carry with you the images you've seen and the feelings they've evoked. May you remember the sweetness of a sun-kissed strawberry, the restless energy of a bustling street, and the quiet solitude of a temple's embrace. And may you cherish the waiting, for it is in waiting that one finds the most profound moments of their lives.

Her Group Exhibition Experience

Dec 2021 · Istanbul, Turkey
《Golden Year》 · La Visione Art Gallery

Jul 2021 · Istanbul, Turkey
《Art of Life》 · Karl&Ein Art Gallery,

Jul 2021 · Istanbul, Turkey
《Atiy’de Sanat》 · Gallery Next

Jun 2021 · Istanbul, Turkey
《Dostlar Sergide Görsün》 · Gallery Next

Mar 2021 · Istanbul, Turkey
《Perfection》 · Luna Sanat Galerisi

Mar 2021 · Istanbul, Turkey
《Elegance》 · La Visione Art Gallery

Her Work Experience
In Niusha's illustrious career, she has championed the cause of gender equality, collaborating with prominent organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union across numerous countries. This rich professional journey has not only been a testament to her dedication towards fostering equality but has also deeply influenced her trajectory as a self-taught artist. Her art embodies a harmonious blend of her professional insights and personal explorations, weaving together the narratives of diverse cultures and gender equality initiatives she has been a part of. This symbiotic relationship between her career and her artistry offers a profound depth and a distinctive perspective to her creations, making each piece a reflection of her journey in understanding and portraying the intricate layers of society and culture.

JAN 2022 – ONGOING · Stockholm, Sweden
Programme Officer ArtNexus/ Swedish Art Grants Committee

OCT 2020 – JAN 2022 · Istanbul, Turkey
Women, Peace, Security, and Humanitarian Specialist/ UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

OCT 2019 – OCT 2020 · Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Program-and Coordination Analyst/ UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina

FEB 2017 – SEP 2019 · Uppsala Municipality, Sweden
Registrar/ Office of Regional Management

OCT 2017 – FEB 2018 · Brussels, Belgium
BlueBook Trainee/ DG Near South, European Commission

Her Other Experience

Mar 2020 – Mar 2021 , Brussels, Belgium
Representative of Sweden – European Women’s Lobby

Dec 2019 – Oct 2020 , Online
Mentor ”i4i”, UN Women Cambodia

Mar 2019 – Mar 2021 , Stockholm, Sweden
Board member, Swedish Women’s Lobby

Sep 2017 – Jan 2018 , Geneva, Switzerland
Trainee, Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN

Feb 2017 – Jul 2017 , Uppsala, Sweden
Teamleader for newly arrived youth, Genomfarten

Jan 2017 – Mar 2017 , Uppsala, Sweden
Volunteer, The Kvinna to Kvinna Foundation

Aug 2015 – Dec 2015 , Stockholm, Sweden
Trainee, Swedish Women’s Lobby

Aug 2012 – Aug 2015 , Stockholm, Sweden
Coordinator local school support, Läxhjälpen Foundation

Jan 2015 – Mar 2015 , Stockholm, Sweden
Volunteer, IM Sweden Development Partner

Aug 2013 – Dec 2013 , Stockholm, Sweden
Trainee, Pronto Communication

Jun 2012 – Jul 2012 , Sandviken, Sweden
Summer school teacher for newly arrived youth

Her Study Experience

SEP 2016 – JUN 2018 · Uppsala University, Sweden
MA Human Rights and International Law

Sep 2016 – JUN 2018 · Stockholm University, Sweden
BA Political Science and Economics