Description
Born in Montreal, Jihane Mossalim received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with specialization in Art Education at Concordia University. Her work explores memory, at both the individual and group level. Family traditions, childhood, and institutions all serve as settings where her characters mingle and interact.
“Photographs of people have always fascinated me”, she says. “As a child, I often spent hours rummaging through old albums and shoe-boxes full of family photos.” The artist collects old photos, thrown away or sold at auction. Sometimes they are pictures of her own past: her mother, father, or distant family. Sometimes she asks friends to provide old photos from their family collections. Her scenes are carefully selected, noting faces that she wants to “bring back to life.” The resulting paintings appear foreign and familiar at the same time, evoking an eerie intimacy. Sometimes dark and melancholic, the works hint at hidden memories viewers may share.
Jihane Mossalim’s works have been exhibited in Canada, the United States, and Portugal. She has also created works for international horror and fantasy publications. In 2018, she received the Glencross Family Award in Art Education from Concordia University. In addition to her studio practice in Montreal, she also serves as the Fine Arts Director of the Convergence Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps promote neuroscience, the arts, and the collaboration between these two fields.
