Abdullah M. I. Syed
Aura I and Aura II
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about the artwork
artist statement
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about the artist
Abdullah M. I. Syed
Born Karachi, Pakistan
Lives and works between Karachi; New York; Gadigal Country | Sydney
Abdullah M. I. Syed is a Pakistani-born interdisciplinary artist, scholar and writer working across continents. In 2015 he completed his PhD in Art, Media and Design at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Syed is a member of eleven, a collective of Muslim Australian artists, curators and writers. Syed identifies his art practice as an archival form of manzoom muzahamat — poetic activism based on ideas of shared vulnerability, love, empathy and memory. He is inspired by a deep interest in traditional arts and crafts, performances of masculinity and sacred rituals. Utilising a variety of mediums, including drawing, sculpture, textile, video installation, text and body performance, Syed examines economies, structures and theatrics of power and gender (masculinity) in their myriad forms.