Edna Al-Najar

Edna Al-Najar is a multidisciplinary artist engaging with sculpture, video animation, painting, and photography. Her work delves into themes of resilience, memory, and the interplay of past and future, drawing from collective histories and her experience as a Muslim hijabi woman and a child of the diaspora. Influenced by her parents' experiences with war, trauma and occupation ( from Iraq & Bosnia), Al-Najar's art critiques contemporary injustices while envisioning hopeful futures. She studied fine arts at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart (graduated January 2024) under professors such as Heba Y. Amin, Ülkü Süngün and Reto Boller. In addition to hosting artistic events such as 2023 at Theater Rampe for the remembrance of the Hanau attack, Edna Al-Najar has exhibited individually or collectively in various notable venues, including the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart, the Venice Art Biennale, and in Vienna at Muslim*Contemporary 23. She is a recipient of the SHIFT Stipendium from the city of Stuttgart’s Cultural Office.

https://ednaalnajar.com/

https://www.instagram.com/edna_alnajar/

Artworks

  • BREAKING NEWS: MYSTERIOUS ACTION FIGURE DISCOVERED AT GAZA-EGYPT BORDER — A MIRACLE MADE OF SUGAR
    An intriguing discovery is making headlines: An unknown, striking action figure composed of refined sugar has been found in a truck crossing the border between Egypt and Gaza. What deeper meanings or hidden messages might this unusual figure hold? Its providence and trajectory remains unclear and the true power and meaning of this enigmatic figurine has yet to reveal itself. Will the truck carrying it make it across the border into Palestine? Stay tuned as we continue to unravel the mystery behind this strange discovery.

  • “Allow yourself to let the heaviness move downward through your body and to the earth.”

    دموعي من ناري  - phonetically: na:ri: min du ˈ mu: ʕ i, or in English: Fire of My Tears – Fractured Borders in Observational Realities [2:48] is a collaborative video installation exploring the complexities of borders, migration, and surveillance through a split-screen format. The visuals include barbed wire, fences, and close-up eyes, evoking a duality of perspectives:those confined and those wishing to cross. Drones and reaching hands emphasize the struggle for connection, all set against a meditative voice.

    This work critiques the inhumane treatment associated with border control, referencing Susan Schuppli’s examination of dehumanizing methods in Icebox Detention Along The US-Mexico Border, where asylum seekers face extreme conditions reinforcing their isolation. Schuppli’s assertion that “events do take place” highlights the tangible suffering caused by geopolitical boundaries.

    The installation resonates with Sophie Ristelhueber’s idea that “events can’t be represented in their entirety,” capturing fragmented imagery to reflect the complexities of conflict and migration. In line with Hito Steyerl’s thoughts in Pattern Recognition—that “the way we see the world is profoundly influenced by the images we create”—the work underscores how visual representation shapes our understanding of these struggles. “Breathe in. And let it go.”