Selma Selman is a student, artist and activist of Roma origin who was born in Bihac, Bosnia and Herzogovina, in 1991. She works in New York State and exhibits and performs widely across the USA and Europe. Her work embodies the struggles of her own life as well as her community, employing a variety of media such as performance, painting, photography and video installations. Selman defines herself as an artist of Roma origins, and not a Romani artist, a subtle yet critical distinction in her work.
Her pieces are often inspired by her personal history, her family’s lifestyle and the background she comes from, exploring issues of child marriage, women’s role in Roma communities and education (Do Not Be Like Me, 2016; March To School; Composition: Bori, Nevjesta, Bride, 2016). Selman’s aim is to break down the prejudice which essentialises her community to the lowest common denominator, denying them the right to self-expression. Selman utilises her personal background as a lens through which she can understand the universal human condition and its idiosyncrasies.
She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2014 from Banja Luka University’s painting department, where she studied under the supervision of Veso Sovilj, and worked with renowned Bosnian performance artist Mladen Miljanovic, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 55th Venice Biennial in 2013. She studied sociology and anthropology at the Central European University, Budapest, in 2014. She is currently pursuing her MFA at Syracuse University, where she also teaches art.
www.selmaselman.mayfirst.org
Festivals, Residencies and Performances
2013
‘Former West’, International Congress of Contemporary Art and Theory, (attended lectures by theorists, artists and philosophers like Boris Groys, Boris Buden, Mladen Stilinovic), Berlin
Do You Have a Boyfriend? – performance at Be-Fem Feminist Cultural Festival, Belgrade
Straw – International Land Art Festival, Osijek
Sister Be Aware Of Criminals – performance at BL-ART Regional Festival of Independent Art Scene, Banja Luka
2014
Roma Performing The Flag Act 1 and 16000 Parts – two performances at multimedia art project,1st video edition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Banja Luka
Roma Performing The Flag Act 1 – video work selected for Video Art Festival Miden, Kalamatas
Changing Identities – project ‘BAUHAUS Goes South East Europe, 1914/2014’, Sarajevo
You Do Not Have an Idea – performance at International Festival of Performing Arts, ‘Week of live art’, Dubrovnik
You Do Not Have an Idea and Love is the most beautiful when you are waiting for it – International Festival of Performing Arts, ‘My country, Staglinec’, Croatia
16000 Parts, Do not look into Gypsy eyes, Roma Performing the Flag Act 1, Anew – presentation of works at Workshop III, Moderna Museet, Malmö
2015
You have no idea – performance at Dreamland gallery, Buffalo, New York
Body in danger – discussion, presentation at Dreamland gallery, Buffalo, New York
Residence at ISCP center, New York
The cycle – performance at 15th art performance art festival ‘to continue=to be’, Osijek, Croatia
two chickens, two fishes – PichWise festival, Sarajevo
16000 Parts – Public Open Studio ComArt, Syracuse, New York
Do not look into Gypsy eyes – performance of Spark Performance Vol. 6 ‘Few Other Nows’, Syracuse, New York
Saltwater at 47 and What is my role in all of this? – open screen, Modernity – loved, hated or ignored, Luxemburg city film festival
2016
You have no idea – performance at Hero Mother, curated by Bojana Pejić and Dr. Rachel Rits-Volloch, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin
I will laugh and You have no idea – Mikser festival, Belgrade
Group Exhibitions
2013
Asymmetrical me – group exhibition of intermedia arts, Trebinje
2014
Apartman – Banja Luka
Calling Cards – Gallery8, Budapest
We want you – The 10th Berlin International Directors Lounge, Berlin
Minimum/Maximum – 3rd international group exhibition of miniatures, Banja Luka
2015
Biennial of Contemporary Art D-O ARK, Sarajevo
Zvono – exhibition of the finalists and winner at gallery Duplex, Sarajevo
2016
Contemporary Thesaurus – Museum of contemporary art in Vojvodina, Novi Sad
The Works Art and Design Festival – Edmonton, Alberta
Conquer the Beauty – New Children Gallery, New Orleans
Hero Mother – curated by Bojana Pejić and Dr. Rachel Rits-Volloch, Kunstquartier Bethanien, MOMENTUM & Studio 1, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin
Group show at Fullersta Gård – ‘Bakro’ Stockhol
Solo Exhibitions
2009
Gallery Una, Bihac
2013
Love is the most beautiful when you are waiting for it – Gallery San Fedele, Milan
Poetics of the soul – Gallery Udas, Banja Luka
2015
You have no idea – Gallery Epeka, Maribor
2016
I exist – Gallery Dreamland, Buffalo, New York | Gallery Schleifmühlgasse 12–14, Vienna
Awards
2013
Award for the best work in the field of inter-media arts at the Academy of Arts, Banja Luka
Dogma arts award for the best work of fine art, Banja Luka
2nd place in the ‘BiH in the EU’ painting contest, Zenica
2014
Zvono art award for the best young artist in BiH
Award for the best work (painting), Academy of Arts, Banja Luka
Award for the best work (graphic design), Academy of Arts, Banja Luka
2015
Commendation of the Cultural Centre for outstanding achievements in art, Bihac
Source: the artist, selmaselman.mayfirst.org