MaskiniTaal (2021) solo exhibition at Fotografiens Hus, Oslo. Documentation image by Tor Simen Ulstein
Dev Dhunsi (b. 1996) is a Norwegian-Indian multidisciplinary artist and photographer working in the intersection of staged and documentary photography, textile works, moving image, soundscapes and re-vitalizations of archives both public and personal. He is based in Stockholm, Sweden where he is undertaking a Master degree in Fine Arts at The Royal Institute of Art, previously holding an art degree from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.
One of his earliest works where the photobook “Rakavan” which documented the disappearance of a friend from his local community in Trondheim, Norway. Through this project he explored the usage of images to understand and cope with emerging emotions in himself, his group of friends and Rakavan´s family.
This method of process brought Dhunsi to further explore himself as an individual with varieties of connection to diaspora experiences through his “white background” being of relatives from Argentina, Morocco, Algeria, and his own direct link to India. Dhunsi works as much in Norway as in India and is dually looking and asking questions through a queer gaze and the political positions of the objects he interact with. The more likely arrival of the processes is of installations, publications, and collaborative cultural projects. Post-colonial issues, ecology, sound pollution, queer theories and distributions of images often delves deep into the multi-dimensional nature of images as they embark on a journey through time, space, and emotions, forging connections and weaving a tapestry of narratives across continents.
Recently Dhunsi’s work touches upon the complexity of society with its many -scapes (landscape, soundscape, mediascape), with images traveling, composing, and decomposing themselves into a liquid pool always on the verge of renewal and disappearance.
Contact:
devdhunsi@gmail(.)com for prints, books, or other inquiries.
︎ @DEVDHUNSI
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
Agency:
Citrus Studio
Residency and 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
Selected solo exhibition:
2023 - Encircling Stories at MELK, Oslo
2021 - “MaskiniTaal” @ Fotografiens hus
2020 - “Nawanzamania Phases” @ P Zero Projecthalle, KHIO
2019 - Nordic Light International Photography Festival
2019 - Visiting/Paris barat TYVEN trondheim (Release of “rakavan” photo book)
Selected group exhibitions:
2023 - Vårutstillingen 2023 at Fotogalleriet, Oslo
2023 - Mejan Internationale: Home to Home, at Mint, Stockholm
2023 – «Indoctrination: Multivalent Gestures» group exhibition at Fotogalleriet, Oslo. Curated by Dahir Hussein
2022 – «Ringen bortom mattan» group exhibition at The sports Museum, curated by C-PRINT, Stockholm, Sweden
2022 – “In progress”, Landskrona Photo festival, Sweden curated by Atla Platform
2022 - Illusive Illusions, Group exhibition at Galleri Melk, Norway curated by Christian Tunge
2022 – Anothership – BA avgangsutstilling, KHIO
2022 – Othership – BA avgangsutstilling del 1, Kunstnernes hus
2021 – “Dette året”, Fotografihuset og Preus Museum, kuratert av Sofie Amalie Klougart og Christian Belgaux
2021 - "Light of my life" at DOPSGATE4 gallery, Oslo, Norway, curated by Noah Hunter Love
2020 - Blue Chip Baby - DuckertDetroit collaboration, Babel visningsrom for Kunst, Trondheim
2019 - Trondheim Dokumentarfestival, Exhibition and artist talk
2019 - “Portrait now!”, Nationalhistoriske Museum Fredriksborg Castle, DK
2019 - Palettes, Visitors Travel, curated by Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Sam Lubicz, FeldFünf, Berlin, Germany
2018 - "Rakavan" Encontros da imagem int. photo and visual art festival
2018 - "Rakavan" at Helsinki Photo Festival
2018 - Graduation exhibition Norwegian School of Photography
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
2018 - Younes exclusive for KALTBLUT Magazine
2018 - Tell the preacher the medicine (Contributor Magazine)
Grants/Awards:
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
SpareBank 1 SMN Talentstipend, Kultur 2019
Gullsnitt Biennale 17/18, Sølv - Årets nykommer