Omar Imam (Damascus, 1979) is an Amsterdam-based, visual artist, and Rijksakademie alumni.
In his dreamlike photographic works, and sculptures. Imam uses irony and a conceptual approach to provoke positive impact, and contribute to society reshaping, with playful seriousness.
Omar’s photographs vacillate between mundane documents and utterly inconceivable dreams. From realizing that the viewer's imagination can be reordered. Omar directs the viewer with precision. The images do not depict a situation so much as they seem to expand the space and time of the subjects' reality, thus giving the viewer a way in.
His project "Live, Love, Refugee" has been shown in 16 countries around the world.
Omar is represented by Catherine Edelman Gallery.
Award
"Tim Hetherington" Visionary Award 2017
Fellowship
Moving walls /open society foundation (2019)
Kunstenaar Basis / Mondriaan Fund (2022)
Residencies
2018/2019 Artist - in - Residence, Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten , Amsterdam
Collections
. The Joseph M. Cohen Family Collection , New York City, NY
. The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
. Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
. Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Main Exhibitions
2023
Photo London
2022
Cortona On The Move. AlUla. Saudi Arabia
An Expression of Absence. Magnum Foundation. New York
2021
Fictions Documentaires. Festival De La Photographie Sociale. Carcassonne, France.
2020
Live,Love,Refugee. ENCONTROS DA IMAGEM' Festival. Portugal What is Home? Catherine Edelman Gallery. Chicago
Historytellers. Humanity House. Den Haag, Nederland
2019
Stateless. Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) . Chicago Chobi Mela. Dhaka, Bangladesh
The Shortest Distance Between Us. Dubai
Photoville . New York Rijksakademie open studio. Amsterdam Orde en chaos. Amersfoort
CBK. Amsterdam
Edelman gallery. Chicago La Biennale des photographes du monde arabe contemporain. Paris
Art Miami