Personal dictionary

Fire Station Art Residence - Doha - Qatar 2020

In 'Personal Dictionary,' Nedim Kufi explores the creation of meaning and the practice of being a language player. Language is a key element in Kufi's practice, where his work finds intersections and invisible messages. The presented works show Nedim's experimentation with language and the creation of meaning by manipulating words through non-representational playful forms.

New terms created through his visual language offer alternative translations and new readings. To Nedim, words are a living organism that can be reflected, flourished and bloomed. They are seeds one can plant which grow, die and eventually are reborn. Once a permanent meaning is attached to a word, it becomes a dead organism. Language is not formal, but is symbolic and can endlessly be re-imagined. Nedim Kufi is a multimedia visual artist.

Along with group exhibitions, he has amassed more than 20 solo exhibitions across the Middle East, North America and Europe. Bringing nature's elements together is at the core of his practice, exploring the complex relationships between perceptions, imaginations and expressions. He is currently in residence at the Fire Station as part of the Visiting Artist Program.

"Personal Dictionary" unpacks Nedim Kufi identity as an artist and writer. In this body of work, he presents his continuous exploration of creating meanings through being a language player and finding intersections between individual and common meaning. The works highlight how images create language and how art is always up to interpretation through surrealism and symbolism.

In this exhibition, Kufi is influenced by chaos and the curiosity it evokes through categorical and formulaic de-layering of time, while finding harmony between opposing elements through creating personal definitions. The exhibited works include large multicultural and monochromatic manipulations diving into East and West, Arab literature stars and sculptural installations examining the refractions of words.

Nedim Kufi a multimedia visual artist who is the current visiting artist at the Fire Station, an initiative created to establish a network between the artists in residence and international artists. Along with group exhibitions, he has amassed more than 20 solo exhibitions across the Middle East, United States and Europe in venues such as Bonhams London, Station Museum of Contemporary Art and Sultan Gallery. Bringing nature’s elements together is at the core of his art exploring the complex relationships between perceptions, imaginations and expressions. Much of his work is autobiographical and speaks to his cultural identity—while encouraging audiences to explore their own shared cultural cognition.