Diinsi Abuur: Broadcast Signals marks a significant milestone in the ongoing cultural exchange between Somali-Canadian and Somali-American communities that began three years ago. This exhibition is part of the Diinsi Abuur program—an initiative dedicated to fostering reciprocal exchanges of artists and artistic ideas across regions with a focus on Somali diaspora communities. The program’s inaugural exchange took place in 2023 at The Bows where Somali-Minnesotan artists introduced their work to the Somali-Albertan community. Broadcast Signals now broadens this exchange by bringing the perspectives of Somali-Canadian artists Faisa Omer and Siham Salah to Minneapolis, connecting these communities and encouraging shared reflections on identity, memory, and belonging.

Faisa Omer’s Qorrax soo bax/Sunrise series highlights the beauty and resilience of Somali women through portraiture that incorporates cultural references with traditional textiles. Her work celebrates individuality and expressions of identity while inviting dialogue on the preservation of cultural heritage within the diaspora. Siham Salah’s Between Sands and Snow captures the fluidity of identity through landscapes that blend the warmth of Somalia with the starkness of Alberta, reflecting both the passage of time and the shifting contours of home. Through their distinct approaches, both artists engage with themes of migration, belonging, and the emotional ties that connect past and present.

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Faisa Omer is a Somali Canadian studio photographer whose work has been featured in prominent institutions such as the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Ottawa Art Gallery, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Faisa honed her technical expertise in studio photography at the Algonquin College Photography Program. Her unique artistic perspective is enriched by her extensive academic and professional background, including a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Mental Health, a Master’s in Neuroscience, and a second Master’s in Counseling Psychology. In addition to her artistic practice, Faisa serves as a Mental Health Counsellor at Carleton University, where she continues to integrate her diverse expertise into her creative endeavors. 

Siham Salah is a self-taught, Edmonton-based landscape artist who works primarily with water-mixable oil colors and gouache paint. A principal theme in Siham’s work is the expression of time through the changing seasons, capturing warmth as landscapes transform from dawn to dusk. Her growing body of work features an array of city skylines, forest fields, and mountain cliffs, enhanced by a serene quality of selective tones. When not painting, Siham enjoys developing websites, drinking tea, and watching period dramas.

Soomaal House of Art (Soomaal) is a Minnesota-based Somali artists collective that works with students, emerging, and established artists find artistic community, mentorships, and opportunities. Moving forward, we hope the collective action of this group will lead to sustained partnerships with Minnesota institutions and, together, inspire more Minnesotans, especially Somali Minnesotans, to harness the power of art as a tool for intellectual and civic engagement. Soomaal House of Art provides a platform for Somali visual artists who want to create and use art to shape and frame critical discourse around vexing local and global issues of our time.