Ebecho Muslimova is a contemporary visual artist whose work is characterised by its wry humour, playful use of colour, and distinctive drawing style.
Read MoreBorn in Russia's Republic of Dagestan in 1984, Muslimova currently lives and works in New York. She has gained recognition for her distinctive aesthetic and has exhibited widely both in the United States and abroad.
Ebecho Muslimova's education began in 2001, when she moved to Moscow to study at the Moscow State Pedagogical University. There, she majored in painting and drawing, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2006. After her studies, she moved to New York to pursue her career as an artist, and in 2010, she received her Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University.
Ebecho Muslimova's style is characterised by its bold use of colour, fluid lines, and irreverent humour. Her drawings often feature grotesque and absurd figures that are simultaneously humorous and unsettling. In her work, Muslimova uses these figures to explore complex themes such as power dynamics, identity, and the human condition.
In 'The Fatigue of Interpretation', Muslimova uncovers the ways in which language can be both a tool for communication and a barrier to understanding. The large-scale drawings that make up the series feature characters who are attempting to interpret an abstract shape, but are ultimately frustrated by their inability to fully grasp its meaning.
'A Working Title' features a series of grotesque and surreal figures engaged in mundane activities such as cooking, reading, and sleeping. The figures are often dismembered or deformed, highlighting the absurdity of the human condition.
In 'Jingling Turnips', Muslimova considers the relationship between power and gender. The sculptures feature a series of turnips that are covered in bells and hung from the ceiling. The turnips are a metaphor for the female body, and the bells represent the ways in which women are expected to be both seen and not heard.
Overall, Muslimova's work is a powerful example of how humour and irreverence can be used to explore complex themes and ideas.
Ebecho Muslimova's work has been exhibited extensively both in the United States and abroad. In 2016, she had a solo exhibition at the Abrons Arts Center in New York, which showcased a series of large-scale absurd and surreal drawings. That same year, she participated in the group exhibition Take Me (I'm Yours) at the Jewish Museum in New York, where she created a site-specific installation titled Lollygagging.
In 2018, Muslimova had a solo exhibition at Magenta Plains in New York, where she showcased a series of new drawings and paintings that explored themes of anxiety and humour. The previous year, she was included in the group exhibition Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon at the New Museum in New York, which was focused on understanding how artists are using their work to challenge traditional gender roles and identities.
Throughout her career, Ebecho Muslimova has been the recipient of several prestigious awards and residencies. In 2016, she was awarded the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, which provides financial support to artists with demonstrated artistic merit and financial need. That same year, Muslimova was also a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellowship, which awards grants to artists with a proven record of excellence in their chosen fields.
Ocula | 2023
