Idil Abdullahi

Idil Abdullahi, who was born in Somalia, arrived in Australia as a refugee with her family in 1993. They settled in Western Sydney, where she still lives and works, dedicating herself to nurturing the culturally rooted creative practices of other women and young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, in addition to her own. Abdullahi is known for her mastery of the delicate art of henna painting, a skill she has been honing since she was a small child, as well as her work with ceramics, photography and textiles. Her diverse artistic works are all infused with the legacy of her Somali ancestry, frequently incorporating artistic practices from Somali Sufi traditions. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UNSW Art and Design; exhibits regularly; has received several grants including one from Museum and Galleries NSW to curate a group exhibition, African Diaspora; and is an active member of eleven, a collective of contemporary Muslim Australian creatives.