Hussein Shikha

Hussein Shikha (1995) works at the intersection of experimental film, animation, textile, and video game design to engage with layered symbologies that reflect his heritage and family history. Through repetition, variation, and subtly interconnected forms, his intricate pixel drawings unfold beautiful if manipulated personal recollections forged from his PlayStation Memory Card and situated experience. Rather than following a linear narrative, Shikha searches for meaning through heightened, dispersed associations that invite viewers into moments of reflection, recognition, and spiritual resonance. Pixelation becomes both a visual signifier and philosophical tool that fragments, encodes, and eludes clarity, also echoing traditions of concealment found in Islamic art. Shikha was born and raised in Iraq. He moved to Antwerp in 2009 where he is currently based.

During his residency at Moussem, Hussein will continue developing Legend of Sumeria, a project that explores how video games can function as a tool to archive and reinterpret visual cultures embedded in endangered iraqi heritage. Drawing from Mesopotamian mythology, Islamic visual cultures, and Marsh Arab weaving, the work translates textile motifs and symbols into a digital environment while engaging with the sociopolitical histories surrounding cultural heritage, memory, and representation, all the while challenging dominant orientalist portrayals of Arab, Islamic, and Middle Eastern cultures with video games.