The Nigerian-American Self-Taught Visionary Fusing Surrealism with Social Commentary
Abi Salami at the Ubud AIR residency in Bali, Indonesia (March, 2023)
Abi Salami is a self-taught artist who creates large-scale surrealist works that explore her experiences as a Nigerian immigrant and Black woman in the United States. Through the use of a personal visual lexicon made up of symbols, she explores topics such as sexuality, mental health and race.
She was the winner of the 2021 Hopper Prize. She was selected as a candidate of the Saatchi Art 2020 Rising Stars under 35 Class and a 2021 New Voices Top 100 Artists. She and her work have been featured on the Washington Post, New York Times, Artland, Artsy, D Magazine, Glasstire and Patron Magazine.
“I start off each painting by standing in front of the canvas... nervous, humble, vulnerable... and I ask myself “What would you do if you weren’t afraid”. Then I paint.”
Discover the Work of Abi Salami: The Artist Breaking Barriers With Her Art.
Download the Visual Chictionary™ by Abi Salami
The works of Abi Salami are riddled with meaningful symbols that are part of her visual vocabulary. Check out her VISUAL CHICTIONARY™ and dive into her whimsical mind!
Receive Access to Available Works by Abi Salami
Abi Salami is committed to removing the opaqueness in the art industry, so in the spirit of accessibility and transparency, here her available works. No intimidating inquiry process. Just Art.
Request an In-Person/Virtual Studio Visit
Are you an art collector or art professional interested in learning more about Abi Salami’s artistic practice? Simply place a request for a in-person/virtual studio visit and get priority access to her schedule when she has availability.
SELECTED AWARDS
FALL 2021 HOPPER PRIZE WINNER |
2021 Black Foundry Award |
Aux Creative Fund 2021 |
FALL 2021 HOPPER PRIZE WINNER | 2021 Black Foundry Award | Aux Creative Fund 2021 |
The Fiction of Control at Jardin Rouge Montresso Art Foundation, Marrakech, Morocco (2024)
SELECTED FEATURES AND PRESS
STUDIO MANAGER PICKS
