Jala Wahid
When I think of Kurdish art forms, I immediately think of poetry and music.
Jala Wahid (1988, United Kingdom) is a British-Kurdish artist working across sculpture, film, sound and installation. Her practice is rooted in archival research into Kurdish history and politics, focusing on what has been erased or obscured through colonial narratives. Drawing on both Kurdish voices and official records, she explores how cultural identity has been shaped and challenged over time. From this research, Wahid creates works that give form to what cannot be fully recovered, embracing gaps, echoes and fragments as part of the story.
Her installations combine striking, sensual forms with sound and storytelling, often using a vivid and even joyful visual language to counter dominant historical accounts. She has examined archives connected to Britain’s involvement in Kurdish history, including the political role of oil, and reimagined museum collections through sculpture and film. As noted in her research into historical records, these materials reveal how power has shaped narratives and identities. By bringing together politics and poetic expression, Wahid creates immersive environments that reflect on memory, displacement and belonging.
