Muna Malik

Muna Malik

Artist Statement

For some, faith and religion are a means to connect with God. For others, art and spirituality fill that higher connection. Where do you fall?

Many Somali’s took great comfort in faith in spirituality to help them through civil war. The ideologies of past centuries, socialism, and nationalism, diminished in some ways. The failure of the state to provide social security and safety for the people opened the way for religion and faith to thrive. For some, it became the only institution protecting them.

This work asks you to meditate and inspect these images as a means to turn inward towards both the personal and the spiritual.

Biography

Born in Sanaa, Yemen, raised in the Middle East and America, Muna Malik is a multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has been featured in such exhibits and publications as The New York Times, Vogue, MCAD, and MOCA. Using interactive installations, sculpture, photography, and painting, she creates bold and poetic narratives that abstract from contemporary issues, particularly those concerning, race, gender, and xenophobia. She also explores the complexities and entanglements between individuals and communities. The two core interrelated strands to her practice are using abstraction to explore the variations and nuances of identity, and the second is creating platforms for community connection.