Selma Selman (b.1991) comes from Bosnia and Herzegovina and is of Romani origin. Her work embodies the struggles of her own life as well as her community, employing a plethora of media such as performance, painting, photography and video installations. Selman defines herself as an artist of Roma origins, and not a Romani artist, a subtle, yet critical distinction in her work. Her aim is to break down the prejudice which essentializes her community to the lowest common denominator denying them of the right to self expression. Selman utilizes her personal background as a lens through which she can understand the universal human condition and its idiosyncrasies. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2014 from Banja Luka University’s Department of Painting, where she studied under the supervision of Veso Sovilj, and worked with renowned Bosnian performance artist Mladen Miljanovic, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 55th Venice Biennial in 2013. She is currently pursuing her MFA at Syracuse University where she is also teaching art.
