Somali Artists

[ailamos]

I just came across an interesting story:

 

 

Somali photographer given fellowship

 

Photographer Abdi Roble has been awarded the first Raymond J. Hanley Fellowship, a $10,000 prize in memory of the former Greater Columbus Arts Council president.

Roble is an acclaimed photographer who founded the Somali Documentary Project, which uses photography to produce an archive of the Somali diaspora.

 

Through the project, Roble, who was born in Somalia, has exhibited work in the Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery, Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, the Columbus Museum of Art and other venues. Last year, Roble and author Doug Rutledge published works from the project in the book The Somali Diaspora: A Journey Away.

 

"For me, this has been the work I believe in," said Roble, 44. "If I'm rewarded for work I believe I should be doing anyway, I'm very humble in accepting this recognition."

 

Roble said he expects the fellowship money will help him buy equipment, pay rent and continue his work in photography.

 

He is also the creator of the African American Photographers of North America and the Focus Group. His exhibitions include "One Month in Europe with Leica," "Leica Portrait of Cuba" and "Japan: A Leica Perspective."

 

He has also won individual artist fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

 

An anonymous panel of judges, along with the trustees of the Hanley Arts Fund of the Columbus Arts Endowment, chose Roble for the fellowship, an award for an individual artist who lives or works in the Columbus area and who has demonstrated an unusual level of achievement. The award honors Hanley, who led the arts council from 1985 until his death in 2006.

 

"The fellowship is a way to memorialize Ray Hanley and his love of artists and arts organizations in the community," said Bryan Knicely, Greater Columbus Arts Council president. "Ray really appreciated Abdi's work, which exemplifies why the award was created.

 

"Roble is not only a photographer but an artist who explores many timely social issues. His name kept rising to the top because of the excellent quality of his photographs and their social significance."

So I started to search for other Somali photographers and also threw in artists, models and writers and I came up with this:

 

Knaan http://knaanmusic.ning.com/

 

Abdi Roble http://www.somaliproject.org/

 

Hakim Abdi http://www.somalinomad.com/

 

Sada Mire http://www.somaliheritage.org/

 

Ayan Hirsi Ali http://www.theahafoundation.org/

 

Waris Dirie http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/en/

 

Iman http://www.imancosmetics.com/

 

Barlin Ali http://www.somaliteatreats.com/book.htm

 

http://www.kayd.org/

 

http://www.somaliamericanartistsassociation.com/

 

http://www.somaliwriters.com/

 

More?

[Ibtisam]

It will be a long thread, there are so many.

 

Why maxaad kuu faali?

[ailamos]

I was a bit bored at work