Founder thewanawal.com
For history of activity in relation to WANAWAL, please visit the website above.
Êvar has exhibited her work in several locations including at Somerset House Studios, Warehouse421 in UAE, East of West in New Mexico USA, La Friche in Marseille, and The V&A. Êvar has given artist talks and lectures on alternative archival systems and practices, and the psychological impact of the archive in many educational institutions including The Slade, Northwestern University, Regents University and Central Saint Martins. She has hosted and participated in workshops and events at the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, Tate Modern, IMMA, iniva, Reference Point, Design Museum, V&A, Nottingham Contemporary and has been invited to participate in or moderate panel talks and round tables, inlcuding by Ibraaz, Le Guess Who?, Mou7i6 x Decolonial Hacker, Camden Arts Centre and London Short Film Festival.
Êvar’s books are stocked at The Mosaic Rooms, Printed Matter (NY), Maktaba (Montreal), Hopscotch (Berlin), and via WANAWAL.
Education
MA Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy, Goldsmith’s College
BA Art and Design, University of Leeds
Residencies and Awards
- Women’s Art Library / Feminist Review: Art in the Archive Bursary, 2026
- Somerset House Studio, 2025
- The Advocacy Academy supported by The University of Brighton in collaboration with Royal College of Arts and Clare Cumberlidge (archivist-in-residence), 2025
- Dazed 100 Global and Dazed MENA 100
- Swiss Art Fund, 2024
- Arts Council England Project grant, 2023
- a-n Artist Bursary, 2023
- Castlefield Gallery Associate, 2023
- Arts Council England: Developing Your Creative Practise, 2021
- Warehouse 421 (Abu Dhabi) x Bombay Institute for Critical Analysis and Research (BICAR) – PRAXIS: Art and Philosophy in the Global Contemporary, 2021
- Jupiter Woods: Herstories and Feminisms, 2021
- Haramacy by Comm.un, 2020
- a-n The Artists Information Company / The Freelands Foundation, 2020
- Jerwood Bursaries Award, 2020
- The White Pube Monthly Digital Takeover, 2020
- Creative Mentor Network recipient, 2020
MA Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy, Goldsmith’s College
BA Art and Design, University of Leeds
Residencies and Awards
- Women’s Art Library / Feminist Review: Art in the Archive Bursary, 2026
- Somerset House Studio, 2025
- The Advocacy Academy supported by The University of Brighton in collaboration with Royal College of Arts and Clare Cumberlidge (archivist-in-residence), 2025
- Dazed 100 Global and Dazed MENA 100
- Swiss Art Fund, 2024
- Arts Council England Project grant, 2023
- a-n Artist Bursary, 2023
- Castlefield Gallery Associate, 2023
- Arts Council England: Developing Your Creative Practise, 2021
- Warehouse 421 (Abu Dhabi) x Bombay Institute for Critical Analysis and Research (BICAR) – PRAXIS: Art and Philosophy in the Global Contemporary, 2021
- Jupiter Woods: Herstories and Feminisms, 2021
- Haramacy by Comm.un, 2020
- a-n The Artists Information Company / The Freelands Foundation, 2020
- Jerwood Bursaries Award, 2020
- The White Pube Monthly Digital Takeover, 2020
- Creative Mentor Network recipient, 2020
LECTURES and PRESENTATIONS:
Who Gets to Live? On Archives and Kurdish Identity Formation, Performance Lecture for The Research Room at Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, Saudi Arabia
Who Gets to Live? On Archives and Kurdish Identity Formation, Performance Lecture for The Research Room at Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, Saudi Arabia
How shall we do this? Shaping a feminist art resource centre, IMMA & NCAD
Cemeterial Ecologies, Grieving and Zombie Time, Laboratory of Aethetics and Ecology, Dutch Art Institute, Lithuania
Exploring WANAWAL and archival concepts, the Slade School of Fine Art, UK
Personal & Collective Memories of Kurdistan, Performance Lecture co-curated by Old Mountain Assembly, Queer Circle, UK
“The lives of/in archives“, with Dr. Althea Greenan and Dr. Tahani Nadim, University of Bochum, Germany
“Psychological impact of information circulation and archiving”, LSE, UK
“Alternative Methods / Feminist Research Methods”, Central Saint Martins, UK
“Humanities: Re/Orienting (in) the World”, Northwestern University, USA
“Engaged Gazing for Social Justice in Britain”, The Good Immigrant, Regent’s University & Seattle University, USA/UK
Panels:- TIDES: (Intertidal) Festival of Migration, Queen's House, Royal Museums Greenwich, 2026
- For Us, By Us: Collective Memory and Rewriting the Archive, British Library, 2026
- Assemblies: What does it mean to gather when gathering is the last thing left to do?, Trigger/FOMU, Ibraaz London, 2025
- Aisha by Yumna Al-Arashi, curated by salasil studio, Reference Point, 2024
- Round Table Discussion by New Contemporaries, Camden Arts Centre, 2024
- Bridging The Gap With Azeema: How Intercultural Communication Builds Community, SoleDXB, Dubai, UAE, 2023
- “Êvar and Sunayah”, APNA Studios, 2023
- “Sound Archives”, Le Guess Who?, NL, 2023
- Mou7i6 x Decolonial Hacker Panel, 2022
- London Short Film Festival: Collectively Doing It Differently by TAPE Collective, Rich Mix, 2022
- Where is the Gaze? Moderated by Nadine Khalil, Warehouse 421, UAE. 2021
- Laundry Arts: Women, Memories & Monuments, Design Museum, 2020
- Working In The Creative Industries, by We Are Here, LSE, 2018
- “Memories”, by Laundry Arts, Protein Studios, 2017
BOOK FAIRS:
GLUE, 2026
Biblioteka, 2026
Peckham 24, 2026
Offprint: 2024, 2025, 2026
Tasmeem Transmit Print Fair, 2026
Small Press Fest by Mosaic Rooms, 2024, 2026
Kazna Asker LFW, 2025
Focal Point, 2024
Inventory Art Book Fair, 2024
LINKS:
“The Fruit of the Dead Tastes of Blood” - Al Hayya Magazine
Inside WANAWAL and RASMi’s SYNC UP: Resonance of Heritage event
WANAWAL’s “don’t worry i won’t forget you” visit with Êvar Huseynî
Êvar Hussayni: How authentic archiving can be a radical act of resistance
The art library decolonising photo archives
Kurdish Girls Swimming by Êvar Hussayni
‘Beyond a Reasonable Doubt’ Is the Must-See Exhibition in London This Week
- For Us, By Us: Collective Memory and Rewriting the Archive, British Library, 2026
- Assemblies: What does it mean to gather when gathering is the last thing left to do?, Trigger/FOMU, Ibraaz London, 2025
- Aisha by Yumna Al-Arashi, curated by salasil studio, Reference Point, 2024
- Round Table Discussion by New Contemporaries, Camden Arts Centre, 2024
- Bridging The Gap With Azeema: How Intercultural Communication Builds Community, SoleDXB, Dubai, UAE, 2023
- “Êvar and Sunayah”, APNA Studios, 2023
- “Sound Archives”, Le Guess Who?, NL, 2023
- Mou7i6 x Decolonial Hacker Panel, 2022
- London Short Film Festival: Collectively Doing It Differently by TAPE Collective, Rich Mix, 2022
- Where is the Gaze? Moderated by Nadine Khalil, Warehouse 421, UAE. 2021
- Laundry Arts: Women, Memories & Monuments, Design Museum, 2020
- Working In The Creative Industries, by We Are Here, LSE, 2018
- “Memories”, by Laundry Arts, Protein Studios, 2017
FAIRS:
GLUE, 2026
Biblioteka, 2026
Peckham 24, 2026
Offprint: 2024, 2025, 2026
Tasmeem Transmit Print Fair, 2026
Small Press Fest by Mosaic Rooms, 2024, 2026
Kazna Asker LFW, 2025
Focal Point, 2024
Inventory Art Book Fair, 2024
LINKS:
“The Fruit of the Dead Tastes of Blood” - Al Hayya Magazine
Inside WANAWAL and RASMi’s SYNC UP: Resonance of Heritage event
WANAWAL’s “don’t worry i won’t forget you” visit with Êvar Huseynî
Êvar Hussayni: How authentic archiving can be a radical act of resistance
The art library decolonising photo archives
Kurdish Girls Swimming by Êvar Hussayni
‘Beyond a Reasonable Doubt’ Is the Must-See Exhibition in London This Week
Exhibitions:On the night of seperation, I wanted to tell you something, Somerset House Studios, London, UK, 2026
Cries of Soil box-book in “No Night is Long Enough For Us to Dream Twice”, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 2026
All Over the Place, activated by Harun Morrison, Piccalilli, London, UK, 2025
Silent Systems: Breathing Devices, curated by Daré Dada, Czech Centre, London, UK 2025
As We Gaze Upon Her, Curated by Banat Collective, Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2021
ZAO TANG 2021, organised by Local Collective x STIGMA (digital), 2021
Third Space II: An Exhibition of Diaspora Artists, Third Space,Cambridge, UK, 2019
100 Years, Todays Women by We Are Here, LSE Library, London, UK, 2018
A River Flowing, East Of West Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, 2018
RIOTGAL, The Hospital Club, London, UK, 2017
La Friche Festival, Marseille, France, 2015
Pesangeh (exhibition) Kurdistan, Diyarbakir, Kurdistan, 2015
Cries of Soil box-book in “No Night is Long Enough For Us to Dream Twice”, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 2026
All Over the Place, activated by Harun Morrison, Piccalilli, London, UK, 2025
Silent Systems: Breathing Devices, curated by Daré Dada, Czech Centre, London, UK 2025
As We Gaze Upon Her, Curated by Banat Collective, Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2021
ZAO TANG 2021, organised by Local Collective x STIGMA (digital), 2021
Third Space II: An Exhibition of Diaspora Artists, Third Space,Cambridge, UK, 2019
100 Years, Todays Women by We Are Here, LSE Library, London, UK, 2018
A River Flowing, East Of West Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, 2018
RIOTGAL, The Hospital Club, London, UK, 2017
La Friche Festival, Marseille, France, 2015
Pesangeh (exhibition) Kurdistan, Diyarbakir, Kurdistan, 2015
Saaz & Sounds: RASMi x WANAWAL | Sunayah & Êvar Huseynî
The Sonic Agent | Christina Hazboun & Êvar Huseynî
CURATION:
WANAWAL Reading Lounge, Pulsar Studio, 2026
SYNC UP: Resonance of Heritage curated by WANAWAL and RASMi, The Casbah, 2025
‘don’t worry i won’t forget you’, curated by Êvar Hussayni and Sarah Hamed, Forma, 2024
“Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” presented by West Asian and North African Women’s Art Library, co-curated with Zainab Hasoon (Shabab Intl) and Sara Bin Safwan (Guggenheim Abu Dhabi), Reference Point, 2022
“Memories” by Laundry Service, Protein Studios, Assistant Curator, 2017
'Society and Culture' exhibition by Meet The Artists/Creative Debuts, 2017
WANAWAL Reading Lounge, Pulsar Studio, 2026
SYNC UP: Resonance of Heritage curated by WANAWAL and RASMi, The Casbah, 2025
‘don’t worry i won’t forget you’, curated by Êvar Hussayni and Sarah Hamed, Forma, 2024
“Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” presented by West Asian and North African Women’s Art Library, co-curated with Zainab Hasoon (Shabab Intl) and Sara Bin Safwan (Guggenheim Abu Dhabi), Reference Point, 2022
“Memories” by Laundry Service, Protein Studios, Assistant Curator, 2017
'Society and Culture' exhibition by Meet The Artists/Creative Debuts, 2017
Programming and Workshops: Workshop: Building Transnational Feminist Networks, Transnational Resistances Symposium, Tate Modern, 2026
Late at Tate Britain: Zineb Sedira - WANAWAL Listening Lounge / Listening session with Êvar Huseynî, Tate Britain, 2026
“Eternalising our Artistic Practises: Workshop on Archiving Methods”, Islamic Arts Biennale, Saudi Arabia, 2025
Friday Late: A Thread of Light, curated by Muslim Sisterhood, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2025
WANAWAL SOUNDS, IC Visual Lab, Bristol, 2025
Michael’s Meats / ROADWORKS, in collaboration with Brixton Community Cinema, 2024
Summer Solstice: WANAWAL Live Archiving Event, Nottingham Contemporary, 2024
The WANAWAL presents WANA film screening in collaboration with "Uncovering the Archive" by Mayday Rooms and iniva, Reference Point 2023
INDEX Public Program: Sharing memories over Kurdish cuisine, iniva, Stuart Hall Library, 2023
Body Politics + Rebel Rebel, Friday Late at Barbican, 2022
Women Artists of the Northeast Library + The West Asian and North African Woman’s Art Library, Memory Tracing Workshop, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, 2022
AZEEMA Anti-Art School, V&A Museum, 2019
PUBLICATIONS:
Visit -WRITTEN WORK- to read work written by Êvar.
Hypebeast, Al Hayya Magazine, Trigger, Museum of Youth Culture, NO NIIN, Dazed MENA, Birtish Journal of Photography, Notion 95, Art Monthly, Reference Point Newspaper, The Toe Rag, London Short Film Festival x T.A.P.E Collective, AZEEMA Mag Issue 4, Nour Magazine, DAZED Summer Issue 21, Marques Almeida SEE THROUGH Issue 2, Popular Front Issue 2, Bricks Magazine Issue 7, Hymen Magazine Issue 4, AZEEMA Mag Issue 3, Lungs Project Issue 3, AZEEMA Mag Issue 2, Memories by The Laundry Arts
Cited + mentioned: British Vogue, ICON, DAZED, Harper’s Baazar Arabia, J-Deed, The Dots, Pinterest, The Face, Bubble Gum Club, Elephant, It’s Nice That, Foundation FM, Refinery29, East East, Nowness, PW Magazine, i-D and more.
Late at Tate Britain: Zineb Sedira - WANAWAL Listening Lounge / Listening session with Êvar Huseynî, Tate Britain, 2026
“Eternalising our Artistic Practises: Workshop on Archiving Methods”, Islamic Arts Biennale, Saudi Arabia, 2025
Friday Late: A Thread of Light, curated by Muslim Sisterhood, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2025
WANAWAL SOUNDS, IC Visual Lab, Bristol, 2025
Michael’s Meats / ROADWORKS, in collaboration with Brixton Community Cinema, 2024
Summer Solstice: WANAWAL Live Archiving Event, Nottingham Contemporary, 2024
The WANAWAL presents WANA film screening in collaboration with "Uncovering the Archive" by Mayday Rooms and iniva, Reference Point 2023
INDEX Public Program: Sharing memories over Kurdish cuisine, iniva, Stuart Hall Library, 2023
Body Politics + Rebel Rebel, Friday Late at Barbican, 2022
Women Artists of the Northeast Library + The West Asian and North African Woman’s Art Library, Memory Tracing Workshop, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, 2022
AZEEMA Anti-Art School, V&A Museum, 2019
PUBLICATIONS:
Visit -WRITTEN WORK- to read work written by Êvar.
Hypebeast, Al Hayya Magazine, Trigger, Museum of Youth Culture, NO NIIN, Dazed MENA, Birtish Journal of Photography, Notion 95, Art Monthly, Reference Point Newspaper, The Toe Rag, London Short Film Festival x T.A.P.E Collective, AZEEMA Mag Issue 4, Nour Magazine, DAZED Summer Issue 21, Marques Almeida SEE THROUGH Issue 2, Popular Front Issue 2, Bricks Magazine Issue 7, Hymen Magazine Issue 4, AZEEMA Mag Issue 3, Lungs Project Issue 3, AZEEMA Mag Issue 2, Memories by The Laundry Arts
Cited + mentioned: British Vogue, ICON, DAZED, Harper’s Baazar Arabia, J-Deed, The Dots, Pinterest, The Face, Bubble Gum Club, Elephant, It’s Nice That, Foundation FM, Refinery29, East East, Nowness, PW Magazine, i-D and more.