The Curators
Linda Abdullah
Linda was born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During the Nakba, her father was expelled from Zarnuqa village, while her maternal ancestors were expelled from Jaffa city. Raised as a stateless person in the UAE, she moved to Canada in 2012 and became the first member of her family to obtain citizenship in 2016. She holds a BSc in Visual Communications from the American University of Sharjah and an MFA from OCAD University.
Currently based in Chicago, Linda’s practice continues to weave threads between homeland and exile, exploring belonging, memory, displacement, and the right to return for Palestinian refugees. Working across visual and tactile forms and techniques including concrete, textile, painting and printmaking, she is an interdisciplinary artist and curator who considers participatory practices as a means to heal, build and strengthen communities. Linda is the recipient of Jackman Goldwasser Residency at the Hyde Park Art Centre 2027.
New Forms of Survivance
In New Forms of Survivance, Linda’s curatorial practice, explores the condition of being an outsider: a Palestinian who has never been to Palestine yet remains deeply engaged with what is happening there and immersed in the lived realities shared by those on the inside. Through the exhibition, Linda examines the states of fragmentation and suspension that shape the lives of Palestinians.
Being a daughter of the diaspora, Linda’s curatorial practice remains deeply affected by the daily injustices that her people and homeland endure. Whether an artist on the ground or living and bearing witness from afar, both share the persistence through artistic expression as a way to reflect the lived experiences, hopes and fears, as well as celebrate the continued presence of their Palestinian cultural heritage.
@bylindaabdullah | lindaabdullah.io