Fatima Barznge

Fatima’s work focuses on social themes, particularly the search for and creation of connections between Islamic and Western cultures. She also explores topics such as tolerance, identity, diversity, longing, and childhood memories, especially in an environment now completely affected by climate change. As a continuous traveler between the Islamic and Western worlds, her work highlights the dynamic interactions between these cultures. This journey leads to a growing fascination with translating her inspirations from one culture to another. Drawing on her personal experiences, memories, and conversations, Fatima explores how to combine historical, Islamic, and Kurdish elements with Western abstraction, adding diversity to her work. She was born and raised in Aghjalar, one of the greenest villages in Kurdistan, Iraq. Growing up, her homeland was torn apart by wars and repression, and now faces the impacts of climate change. Since 1997, she has been a refugee in the Netherlands. When visiting her family, she is confronted with differences in politics, society, culture, and climate between her homeland and her current home. At the same time, she rediscovers the similarities and interactions in cultural heritage between the Middle East and Europe, which she finds very interesting. Her work often incorporates material and immaterial elements, symbolic forms, and historical narratives that connect these two civilizations. One such element is geometry, which shapes her artistic practice. Geometry allows her to contemplate concepts of space and proportion, the earth, measurement, boundaries, and shapes. The technique of her paintings, drawings, and textile works stems from her fascination with the aesthetics of natural structures and textiles, which influences her work.