Heyhat Abbas Hajo
I am the rainbow of a stateless fighter, mother, immigrant, teacher, solider, feminist, yet free in search of some meaning with my colors.
I am labeled as Kurdish American, but I declare myself an international citizen of this world, living in Germany… for now.
I have chosen that no culture, border, or rules will define my identity… But, when the feeling of homelessness gets heavy, I bring the whole world to my canvas and declare myself free from all.
When my dreams unpack the exodus bags that has long crossed over vast oceans and seas, I find refuge somewhere between my palate and my brushes.
When my mother-tongue is kept silent and other languages fail to touch my soul, then quietly I speak the divine language of art and listen to the symphony of my colors.
We are the past… The outcome of an imposed history and culture that shaped every aspect of our being… We try to paint our dream future as we desire, even if the roots of the past are insisting to relive in every vein of our present. Roots that try to imposes the end-colors of our work, no matter what shades we choose... But I have chosen that the power is in my hands... And, I have decided that I will shape my destiny... Thus... every painting is a moment in my past that aspires to a future of my making…
Heyhat Hajo is a self-trained artist who has lived in Germany for the last few years. As an American expat, she has participated in various exhibitions around the country.
Heyhat was born and raised in Kurdistan; she lived there until the age of eighteen. She then moved to Damascus, the oldest capital in the world, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. With one goal accomplished, she moved on to the next, traversing the globe and creating a new home in the United States where she added a teaching degree to her skills.
After many years of teaching Mathematics in Texas, Arizona and Germany -- plus other stops around the world -- Heyhat decided that it was time once again to follow a new path in her life. She packed her hopes and dreams and joined with the United States Military and the Collation Forces. She ventured into the deserts of Syria and Iraq to defend her beliefs and take a stance for justice. Currently, she has returned to Germany to pursue painting full-time.
Heyhat’s art explores the intersection of expressionism and impressionism. She portrays her feelings and opinions without repression as demonstrated in many of her paintings. Her feelings and thoughts change what she sees and express what she desires. She does not merely depict life as it is. As a result, the desperate struggle between the beauty of nature and the grim pain of global injustice is often present in her work.
When Heyhat is not painting and teaching, she continues to travel around the world discovering and savoring the beauty of every landscape, every city, and every culture that she visits. She captures these images with photography then breathes new life into them with her paintbrush.