Kurdish art exhibition in Virginia showcases identity and culture
Kurdish students and artists opened the "Ki Me Ez" (Who Am I) exhibition at George Mason University in Virginia, featuring works by six Kurdish artists exploring identity and culture. The event included visual arts, poetry readings, and panel discussions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In the U.S. state of Virginia, Kurdish students at George Mason University, in collaboration with several Kurdish writers and artists, opened an art exhibition titled “Ki Me Ez” (Who Am I), featuring works by Kurdish artists living in the United States. The exhibition, held at Mason Exhibitions Arlington, drew significant attention from visitors eager to learn more about Kurdish art, identity, and culture.
The exhibition “Ki Me Ez” offered a vivid reflection of the Kurdish experience through various artistic forms, including paintings, sculptures, photography, and video art. Alongside the visual displays, the event also hosted panel discussions and Kurdish poetry readings, providing visitors with a multidimensional encounter with Kurdish heritage and creativity.
Holly Mason Badra, a Kurdish American writer and scholar who played a key role in organizing the event, told Kurdistan24 that the exhibition was a deeply personal and artistic exploration of Kurdish identity. “I had the great honor of helping bring this exhibition to life, and it is an incredible collection of work by contemporary Kurdish artists who are living in the United States,” she said. “What I love about the work is that it’s really diverse. We have a lot of different types of work, a lot of different themes, but the question remains the same: Ki me ez—who am I? These artists are really unpacking and thinking about who they are as Kurds, but also beyond that, who they are as human.”
The exhibition featured the works of six Kurdish artists based in the United States, each using different media and themes to express their narratives. Alissa Maru, Associate Curator and Exhibitions and Program Manager at Mason Exhibitions Arlington, told Kurdistan24 that the artists approached their work as a means of storytelling and self-documentation. “Artists are always talking about their narrative—what they’re trying to say with the picture, the movement, the clay, the video happening here,” she said. “Each person has a different way of documenting time and experience. One artist, for example, focuses on documenting the Iraqi body count, representing lives lost during the Iraqi war.”
The variety of approaches and materials underscored the exhibition’s richness, blending personal memory, historical trauma, and cultural reflection. The question of identity—both Kurdish and universal—served as the unifying thread connecting the diverse bodies of work.
For many visitors, “Ki Me Ez” served as an introduction to Kurdish culture and identity. The President of the Kurdish Student Organization at George Mason University, Sayran Omar, said the exhibition was a way for Kurds to introduce themselves to the broader American and international community. “Visitors come with great interest,” Omar told Kurdistan24. “They see it, and it’s almost like the first time they’re seeing art like this. It’s their introduction to Kurdistan and the Kurdish people. So it’s sort of a way for us to introduce ourselves to them—a greeting through our art and our culture—and they get to know a little bit more about us.”
The exhibition not only highlighted the creative talents of Kurdish artists but also fostered cultural dialogue, allowing audiences to engage with themes of displacement, resilience, and belonging through art.
For twenty days, the Mason Arlington Gallery became a space where art transcended borders and histories, connecting visitors to the Kurdish story through visual and emotional expression. Beyond aesthetic appreciation, “Ki Me Ez” invited reflection on identity, migration, and humanity itself.
In a world often defined by political divisions, “Ki Me Ez” stood as a testament to Kurdish resilience and creativity—a statement of identity, belonging, and the enduring power of art to tell the stories of a people and their humanity.
Kurdish students and artists opened the "Ki Me Ez" (Who Am I) exhibition at George Mason University in Virginia, featuring works by six Kurdish artists exploring identity and culture.
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) October 28, 2025
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Issa Hassan, Kurdistan24 correspondent in the U.S. contributed to this article.
