The artist Selma Selman, originally from Bihac in BiH, now lives in New York and studies at the prestigious Syracuse University. Her first solo exhibition in New York City is opened.
Selma Selman was born in Roma family in 1991 in Bihac, where she finished the Secondary art school and continued her education at the Academy of Art in Banja Luka, where she graduated in 2014.
After she applied in many places in the world for a scholarship for a master in the field of art, and after different answers, she decided to go on Syracuse University, which is a private institution for which she received a full scholarship. She emphasized that she is very happy for the opportunity to study at this prestigious university.
One of her works of art was dedicated to “nomadic” nature of the Roma population, and she is trying to revive the Roma flag in it.
“We Roma population do not have our own state, but the whole world. The Roma flag is horizontal and composed of blue, upper, and green, lower, while in the middle is the red wheel. Blue symbolizes the sky, which is our cover. Green is the color of earth and I know that we exist around the world. Red wheel symbolizes the movement and fight.”
Her first solo exhibition in New York was opened on the 4th of March in Dreamland Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and she realized it with the curator Jasmina Tumbas.
“This exhibition presents a series of works that are dealing with multi-generational trauma, survival, and the problem of stateless persons. The works are composed of multiple media, and they raise the question of the relationship between mother and daughter,” explained Selma.
In her works, Selma wants to fight prejudices about the Roma population, and provoke the established attitudes and stereotypes.
“I’ve never had one identity, no one does. My identity is a box full of everything. Yes, I’m proud of the fact that I am a Roma woman. And this pride is accepting myself. Roma identity is the same as any other. People need to understand that we are not the people who are used for entertaining, but the people who also need to be entertained,” said Selma.
(Source: L. C./Klix.ba)
