Hussein Shikha
Credit: Areej Ashhab
Hussein Shikha (born 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.