MaskiniTaal (2021) solo exhibition at Fotografiens Hus, Oslo.
Documentation image by Tor Simen Ulstein
Documentation image by Tor Simen Ulstein
Dev Dhunsi (b. 1996) is a multimedia artist working at the intersection of photography, textiles, and installation. Utilizing water and movement as central elements in his projects, he creates works that invite reflection on complex themes such as identity, belonging, migration, social justice, and injustice.
Through his art, Dhunsi provides space for stories that are often overlooked or suppressed, illustrating how historical, cultural, and political forces shape our lives and experiences. Addressing global issues like migration and colonialism as well as personal experiences of loss and belonging, he creates works that connect past and present, diverse geographies, and identities. His work encourages viewers to reflect on how we understand and relate to the world around us as he simultaneously look at the world through a lens of queer theories and diasporic gaze. Recent exhibitions include: Fotogalleriet (Oslo; NO), Mint abf (Stockholm; SE), MELK (Oslo; NO), Kunstnernes Hus (Oslo; NO), National Sports Museum in Stockholm (SE; Stockholm).
Contact:
devdhunsi@gmail(.)com for prints, books, or other inquiries.
︎ @DEVDHUNSI
His projects, developed in large installations, combine textiles, lens-based works, and experimental printing techniques into mixed media presentations. The images themselves speak to sociopolitical and anthropological questions that exist beyond the picture’s frame. Dhunsi’s works examine identity, origin, and encounters between cultures, exp
loring the cultural bridge between his ancestries and upbringing in the physical landscapes of Scandinavia and the techno- and mediascapes of Asia. Dhunsi explores how a site turns into sight, pointing to photography’s intrinsic historical function of land grabbing, and how photographic representations have been used to serve the interests of dominant power structures.
Working
with cameras in a non-human way focusing on materials such as minerals, spirits, and ancestors, he tries to create site- and time-specific works that can be experienced through
multisensory channels. By giving visibility to images that morph, decay, and
evolve, his ecosystems highlight the intimate yet expansive coexistences among
diverse beings, acknowledging our shared and continuous participation in the
processes of living, dying, and decomposing.
CV 2024
Education:
Master of Fine art (MFA) - The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm 2022-2024
Bachelor of Fine art (BFA) - Oslo National Academy of the Arts 2019-2022
Prosjektskolen Art School 2018-2019
Norwegian School of Photography 2016-2018
Selected solo exhibition:
2024 - Encircling Stories at Centrum For Fotografi (SE)
2024 – Stream of:, Hvitsten Salong (NO)
2024 – Tales They Don’t Tell You, Chart Art Fair (DK)
2023 - Encircling Stories at MELK, Oslo (NO)
2021 - “MaskiniTaal” @ Fotografiens hus (NO)
2020 - “Nawanzamania Phases” @ P Zero Projecthalle, KHIO (NO)
2019 - Nordic Light International Photography Festival (NO)
Selected group exhibitions:
2024 – Ties That Bind, Organ Vida, Museum of Contemporary Art, Organ Vida 13th Festival and Futures Photography, Zagreb, Croatia (HR)
2024 – Østlandsutstillingen 2024, at Kunstbanken senter for samtidskunst, Hamar & Vestfold Kunstsenter, Tønsberg (NO)
2023 - Vårutstillingen 2023 at Fotogalleriet, Oslo (NO)
2023 - Mejan Internationale: Home to Home, at Mint, Stockholm (SE)
2023 – «Indoctrination: Multivalent Gestures» group exhibition at Fotogalleriet, Oslo. Curated by Dahir Hussein (NO)
2022 – «Ringen bortom mattan» group exhibition at The sports Museum, curated by C-PRINT, Stockholm, Sweden (SE)
2022 – “In progress”, Landskrona Photo festival, Sweden curated by Atla Platform (DK/SE)
2022 - Illusive Illusions, Group exhibition at MELK, Oslo curated by Christian Tunge (NO)
2022 - BA-degree show, KHIO & Kunstnernes hus (NO)
2021 – “Dette året”, Fotografihuset og Preus Museum, kuratert av Sofie Amalie Klougart og Christian Belgaux (NO)
2021 - "Light of my life" at DOPSGATE4 gallery, Oslo, Norway, curated by Noah Hunter Love (NO)
2020 - Blue Chip Baby - DuckertDetroit collaboration, Babel visningsrom for Kunst, Trondheim (NO)
2019 - Trondheim Dokumentarfestival, Exhibition and artist talk (NO)
2019 - “Portrait now!”, Nationalhistoriske Museum Fredriksborg Castle (DK)
2019 - Palettes, Visitors Travel, curated by Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Sam Lubicz, FeldFünf, Berlin, Germany (DR)
2018 - "Rakavan" Encontros da imagem int. photo and visual art festival (PT)
2018 - "Rakavan" at Helsinki Photo Festival (FI)
2018 - Graduation exhibition Norwegian School of Photography (NO)
Residency/Participations:
Plat(t)form 2023, portfolio and talent gathering at Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
Futures Photography Talent programme 2023
Nasjonalmuseet (NO) 2022-2023 in relation to Queer cultural year in Norway
Public lectures:
2024 - Post-Documentation for Arts and Craft at Oslo National Academy of the Arts
2023 - The Notion of Images Moving, Oslo Negativ Photo Festival
2019 - RAKAVAN book presentation, Trondheim Dokumentarfestival
2018 - RAKAVAN book presentation, Nordic Light International Photography Festival
Collections:
“If The Ground Is Taken Away, You Are Floating” (2023), Kunst på Arbeidsplassen
Print publication:
2023 - Encircling Stories photobook published by Heavy Books
2023 - Nasjonale Turistveger 30 år, Arkitektur.no
2021 - Uncertain states Scandinavia (artist own edition) issue 14 released at MaskiniTaal
2021 - “Dette året” photo document initiated by Sofie Amalie Klougart og Christian Belgaux
2021 - Fresh eyes 2021, powered by GUP - Guide to unique photography
2021 - Visual wanderings by Objektiv, initiated by Nina Strand
2019 - Uncertain States of Scandinavia issue 10
2019 - RAKAVAN photobook published by Forlaget Fotografi
2018 - “Ett år etter Rakavan forsvant” hovedsak for Aftenposten, Adressavisen og Aftenbladet.
2018 - Tell the preacher the medicine in issue 15 for Contributor Magazine
2018 - Cover for The list vol. 2
Online publication:
2021 – Paper Journal – on MaskiniTaal
2018 - VICE dk on Rakavan book project
2018 - “Ett år etter Rakavan forsvant” for Aftenposten, Adressavisen og Aftenbladet.
2018 - Outtake from "Rakavan" for Acreati
Grants/Awards:
2024 - Fritt Ord / Free Speech Foundation, projects funding
2024 - Nordic Photobook Award, Fotogalleriet
2024 - Kulturdirektoratet - Diversestipend for nyetablerte kunstnere
2022 - Kulturrådet - Prosjektstøtte til kunstnere i etableringsfasen
2022 - Kulturrådet - Støtte til Kunstfaglige publikasjoner
2022 - Kulturrådet - Prosjektstøtte til kunstnere i etableringsfasen
2021 - Norsk Fotografisk fond - Prosjektstøtte
2020- Fritt ord - Prosjektstøtte
Fresh eyes Talent 2021, powered by GUP - Guide to unique photography
Gjesteoppholdsstøtte fra Kulturrådet/Art council Norway for kuratering av Ung Nordic Light 2020 (Cancelled due to covid)
Young talent prize 2019 / Nationalhistoriske Museum Denmark
1.st. place of Fotografis’ portfolio prize 2018
Education:
Master of Fine art (MFA) - The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm 2022-2024
Bachelor of Fine art (BFA) - Oslo National Academy of the Arts 2019-2022
Prosjektskolen Art School 2018-2019
Norwegian School of Photography 2016-2018
Selected solo exhibition:
2024 - Encircling Stories at Centrum For Fotografi (SE)
2024 – Stream of:, Hvitsten Salong (NO)
2024 – Tales They Don’t Tell You, Chart Art Fair (DK)
2023 - Encircling Stories at MELK, Oslo (NO)
2021 - “MaskiniTaal” @ Fotografiens hus (NO)
2020 - “Nawanzamania Phases” @ P Zero Projecthalle, KHIO (NO)
2019 - Nordic Light International Photography Festival (NO)
Selected group exhibitions:
2024 – Ties That Bind, Organ Vida, Museum of Contemporary Art, Organ Vida 13th Festival and Futures Photography, Zagreb, Croatia (HR)
2024 – Østlandsutstillingen 2024, at Kunstbanken senter for samtidskunst, Hamar & Vestfold Kunstsenter, Tønsberg (NO)
2023 - Vårutstillingen 2023 at Fotogalleriet, Oslo (NO)
2023 - Mejan Internationale: Home to Home, at Mint, Stockholm (SE)
2023 – «Indoctrination: Multivalent Gestures» group exhibition at Fotogalleriet, Oslo. Curated by Dahir Hussein (NO)
2022 – «Ringen bortom mattan» group exhibition at The sports Museum, curated by C-PRINT, Stockholm, Sweden (SE)
2022 – “In progress”, Landskrona Photo festival, Sweden curated by Atla Platform (DK/SE)
2022 - Illusive Illusions, Group exhibition at MELK, Oslo curated by Christian Tunge (NO)
2022 - BA-degree show, KHIO & Kunstnernes hus (NO)
2021 – “Dette året”, Fotografihuset og Preus Museum, kuratert av Sofie Amalie Klougart og Christian Belgaux (NO)
2021 - "Light of my life" at DOPSGATE4 gallery, Oslo, Norway, curated by Noah Hunter Love (NO)
2020 - Blue Chip Baby - DuckertDetroit collaboration, Babel visningsrom for Kunst, Trondheim (NO)
2019 - Trondheim Dokumentarfestival, Exhibition and artist talk (NO)
2019 - “Portrait now!”, Nationalhistoriske Museum Fredriksborg Castle (DK)
2019 - Palettes, Visitors Travel, curated by Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Sam Lubicz, FeldFünf, Berlin, Germany (DR)
2018 - "Rakavan" Encontros da imagem int. photo and visual art festival (PT)
2018 - "Rakavan" at Helsinki Photo Festival (FI)
2018 - Graduation exhibition Norwegian School of Photography (NO)
Residency/Participations:
Plat(t)form 2023, portfolio and talent gathering at Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
Futures Photography Talent programme 2023
Nasjonalmuseet (NO) 2022-2023 in relation to Queer cultural year in Norway
Public lectures:
2024 - Post-Documentation for Arts and Craft at Oslo National Academy of the Arts
2023 - The Notion of Images Moving, Oslo Negativ Photo Festival
2019 - RAKAVAN book presentation, Trondheim Dokumentarfestival
2018 - RAKAVAN book presentation, Nordic Light International Photography Festival
Collections:
“If The Ground Is Taken Away, You Are Floating” (2023), Kunst på Arbeidsplassen
Print publication:
2023 - Encircling Stories photobook published by Heavy Books
2023 - Nasjonale Turistveger 30 år, Arkitektur.no
2021 - Uncertain states Scandinavia (artist own edition) issue 14 released at MaskiniTaal
2021 - “Dette året” photo document initiated by Sofie Amalie Klougart og Christian Belgaux
2021 - Fresh eyes 2021, powered by GUP - Guide to unique photography
2021 - Visual wanderings by Objektiv, initiated by Nina Strand
2019 - Uncertain States of Scandinavia issue 10
2019 - RAKAVAN photobook published by Forlaget Fotografi
2018 - “Ett år etter Rakavan forsvant” hovedsak for Aftenposten, Adressavisen og Aftenbladet.
2018 - Tell the preacher the medicine in issue 15 for Contributor Magazine
2018 - Cover for The list vol. 2
Online publication:
2021 – Paper Journal – on MaskiniTaal
2018 - VICE dk on Rakavan book project
2018 - “Ett år etter Rakavan forsvant” for Aftenposten, Adressavisen og Aftenbladet.
2018 - Outtake from "Rakavan" for Acreati
Grants/Awards:
2024 - Fritt Ord / Free Speech Foundation, projects funding
2024 - Nordic Photobook Award, Fotogalleriet
2024 - Kulturdirektoratet - Diversestipend for nyetablerte kunstnere
2022 - Kulturrådet - Prosjektstøtte til kunstnere i etableringsfasen
2022 - Kulturrådet - Støtte til Kunstfaglige publikasjoner
2022 - Kulturrådet - Prosjektstøtte til kunstnere i etableringsfasen
2021 - Norsk Fotografisk fond - Prosjektstøtte
2020- Fritt ord - Prosjektstøtte
Fresh eyes Talent 2021, powered by GUP - Guide to unique photography
Gjesteoppholdsstøtte fra Kulturrådet/Art council Norway for kuratering av Ung Nordic Light 2020 (Cancelled due to covid)
Young talent prize 2019 / Nationalhistoriske Museum Denmark
1.st. place of Fotografis’ portfolio prize 2018