Taslim Samji - multi-disciplinary artist & curator

Taslim Samji is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, curator, spoken word poet, and public speaker.  Her work inspires the viewer to imagine, to consider, and  to reconsider shifts in perspectives.  Her bold pieces enhance the energy in spaces, and promote creative thinking and possibilities.  Through her work she explores identity, and contributes to the expanding conversation connecting diversity to humanity.

Born in Tanzania, Taslim immigrated to Canada at a young age and now lives and works in Burnaby, Canada.  She was educated at the University of British Columbia (Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies), British Columbia Institute of Technology (marketing diploma), and Emily Carr University of Art and Design (Fine Arts Certificate program).

As an artist, Samji has participated in numberous exhibitions, including "Change – Contemporary Ismaili Muslim Art", held at the Surrey Art Gallery in 2014, and Kaleidoscope Fest in 2016.

As a curator, she is known for bridging cultural barriers among Ismailis and highlighting the work of female artists.  Taslim curated "Discovery: A Slice of Diversity" at the Deer Lake Gallery (Burnaby Arts Council) in 2014, featuring the work of Canadian Ismaili artists with origins in East Africa.  In November-December 2015 she curated "Odyssey: Past Meets Present" at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre in Vancouver, in which 15 artists with geographically diverse backgrounds were invited to contribute works of art exploring how their past experiences influence their current work.  The exhibition "Commonality", held at the Newton Cultural Centre in January 2016, illustrated the common ground among nine female Ismaili Muslim artists from East Africa, India, and Pakistan.

Taslim is currently working on a coming-of-age memoir that looks at the impact of colonialism on identity, and generational trauma.

Check out her website >