Mohamed Sleiman
Mohamed Sleiman is a Sahrawi multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker and writer. Born and raised in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, southwest Algeria, he runs Motif Art Studio, a small art space built entirely from discarded materials. His art draws from the past and present life of the Sahrawi people and the multilayered social, political and environmental issues they face in their exile in the Hamada Desert. He explores these interconnected realities through diverse art practices including films, writing and community-based art. His film DESERT PHOSfate weaves through narratives of sand particles, plants, people and minerals displacement. His international exhibitions include the Helsinki Biennial, Finland, Luleå Biennial, Sweden and recently the California African American Museum, USA. His works brought the Sahrawi cause and story to art spaces and institutions worldwide. He was recently awarded the Prince Claus Fund award “Cultural and Artistic Response to the Environmental Crisis”.