It is with great sadness that we learned of the untimely death of Arwa Abouon, a young and talented Montreal artist.

Photo above: Arwa Abouon (1982-2020), Ustadha [Woman Teacher], Healing the Natural Way, Transmission, One on One, 2018, 3 ink-jet prints. MMFA, purchase, Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program / Courtesy of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

image Arwa Abouon (1982-2020) / Courtesy of The Third Line

Born in Tripoli, Libya in 1982, Arwa grew up in Canada and received a BFA with distinction, majoring in Design Art from Concordia University in 2007. Throughout the various aspects of her practice, from her playful and thought-provoking photographs to her video and installations, Arwa navigated her place within Western culture and her upbringing in a Muslim household.

Abouon paid homage to the transgenerational transmission of traditional values through her work, considering a blend of subverted ideas of nostalgia and the diasporic longing for home. Her work was rooted in her dynamic personal reflections on human nature, striving to meet and see the world as it is while embracing the multiple perspectives of her thoughtful gaze.

image Arwa Abouon (1982-2020), I'm Sorry / I Forgive You (Diptych), Digital prints and Graphically Ornamented frame / Photo by Islamic Arts Magazine

image Arwa Abouon (1982-2020), Silent Sight (Allahu Akbar), 2012, Digital print, 50,80 x 50,80 cm / Photo by Islamic Arts Magazine

“My ultimate aim is to sculpt a finer appreciation of the Islamic culture by shifting the focus from political issues to a poetic celebration of the faith’s foundations. I hope my work is always visually intricate in the subtleties within its voice.” - Arwa Abouon

“Libyan-Canadian artist Arwa Abouon (1982-2020) possesses the spectacular and rare gift of mastering the language of visuality to articulate her inner depth at the level of universality. This explains why her work is loved across the globe. May we all contribute to ensuring her beautiful and peaceful legacy lives on in our crazy world.” - Valerie Behiery

Arwa will always be remembered for her humble and spiritual soul through which she has touched many lives.

More about Arwa Abouon:

‘Birthmark Theory’ Exhibition, a First UK Solo for the Libyan-Canadian Visual Artist Arwa Abouon

‘Learning by Heart’ by Libyan-Canadian artist Arwa Abouon

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