Arnela Mahmutović
-b. in Hamburg, Germany, Arnela Mahmutović is a visual artist living and working in Albany, New York. Her work has been exhibited in numerous shows along the East Coast, with solo exhibitions at New System Exhibitions in Portland, ME, and The Southern Vermont Arts Center. Recent group exhibitions include “Our Realms” at Elza Kayal Gallery and “Eyes of a Blue Dog” at Marinaro Gallery in New York. She is a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for emerging artists. Arnela earned her BFA in Painting from the Maine College of Art and later completed her MFA in Studio Art at the University at Albany.
My paintings explore the intersections of my traditional upbringing and values within Western society.1 The vocabulary of history and displacement is inseparable from the diaspora experience and has become the foundation of my visual language. Drawing inspiration from illuminated manuscripts, contemporary paintings, and personal narratives, my work continuously investigates the histories that surround me.2
I create worlds where my figures can “live.” They function as extensions of myself and the collective body defined by culture.3 The bodies in my paintings are connected to both cultural and painterly histories—similar to the Bosnian diaspora, scattered across different locations worldwide yet tied together by the customs and traditions of their homeland.4 This manifests in each painting in different ways: through tender encounters between figures, a shared mission to understand the space they occupy, or the physical manipulation of cultural symbols to reclaim ownership of their surroundings.567 These relationships simultaneously challenge the agency of the body and question the dominance of one history over another.8
Painting provides me with an outlet to cultivate a new sense of belonging to my culture—one that is independent and separate from my ancestors.9 However, it also dissolves the self-constructed notion that these histories exist in opposition.10 Each work describes spaces where different influences overlap or merge with my Balkan heritage, creating an intimate and fluid relationship between displaced bodies and imagined spaces—constructed worlds where each person exists as the agent of their own narrative.1112
The text was written in consultancy with Adna Muslija (2025).
1Arnela Mahmutović, Whiplash, oil on panel, 8x10 inches, 2024.
2Arnela Mahmutović, Where's my love, oil and colored pencil on panel, 8x10 inches, 2024.
3Arnela Mahmutović, I Mean you, oil on panel, 8x10 inches, 2024.
4Arnela Mahmutović, Feel I’m ready for my love, oil and colored pencil on panel, 8x10 inches, 2024.
5Arnela Mahmutović, CAO, oil and graphite on panel, 8x10 inches, 2022.
6Arnela Mahmutović, Spark of Freedom, oil and graphite on canvas, 34x46, 2020.
7Arnela Mahmutović, Flower of Freedom, oil and graphite on canvas, 34x46, 2020.
8Arnela Mahmutović, Idi OSTANI, oil and graphite on panel, 8x10 inches, 2022.
9Arnela Mahmutović, Majka, oil and graphite on panel, 8x10 inches, 2022.
10Arnela Mahmutović, Seven for a secret never to be told, oil on panel, 24x36 inches, 2022.
11Arnela Mahmutović, Yesterday, oil on panel, 24x36 inches, 2021.
12Arnela Mahmutović, Tomorrow, oil on panel, 24x36 inches, 2021.
-r. u Hamburgu, Njemačka. Arnela Mahmutović je vizualna umjetnica koja živi i radi u Albanyju, New York. Njezina djela bila su prikazana na brojnim izložbama duž istočne obale, s autorskim izložbama u New System Exhibitions u Portlandu, ME i u The Southern Vermont Arts Center. Nedavne grupne izložbe uključuju “Our Realms” u Elza Kayal Gallery i “Eyes of a Blue Dog” u Marinaro Gallery u New Yorku. Dobitnica je nagrade Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant za umjetnice u usponu. Arnela je stekla BFA u slikarstvu na Maine College of Art, a zatim završila magistarski studij u Studio Art na Univerzitetu u Albanyju.
Moje slike istražuju sjecišta mog tradicionalnog odgoja i vrijednosti unutar zapadnog društva. 1 Rječnik historije i raseljavanja neodvojiv je od iskustva dijaspore, te je postao temeljem mog vizualnog jezika. Crpeći inspiraciju iz iluminiranih rukopisa, savremenog slikarstva i ličnih priča, kroz svoj rad kontinuirano istražujem historije koje me okružuju.2
Kreiram svjetove u kojima moji likovi mogu „živjeti.“ Oni funkcionišu kao produžetak mene i kolektivnog tijela definiranog kulturom.3 Tijela u mojim slikama povezana su i kulturnim i slikarskim historijama—slično bosanskoj dijaspori, raspršenoj na različitim lokacijama širom svijeta, ali povezanoj običajima i tradicijama domovine.4 Ovo se u svakoj slici očituje na različite načine: kroz nježne susrete među likovima, zajedničku misiju razumijevanja prostora koji zauzimaju ili kroz fizičko manipuliranje kulturnim obilježjima kako bi preuzeli vlasništvo nad svojim okruženjem.567 Ove relacije istovremeno izazivaju agenciju tijela i preispituju primat jedne historije nad drugom.8
Slikarstvo mi pruža mogućnost da stvorim novi osjećaj pripadnosti vlastitoj kulturi—onaj koji je nezavisan i odvojen od mojih predaka.9 Međutim, ono istovremeno rastvara samo-konstruirani dojam da ove historije postoje u opoziciji.10 Svako djelo opisuje prostore u kojima se različiti utjecaji preklapaju ili stapaju s mojim balkanskim naslijeđem, stvarajući intiman i promjenjiv odnos između raseljenih tijela i izmišljenih prostora—konstruisanih svjetova u kojima svaka osoba živi kao agent vlastite naracije.1112
Tekst je napisan u konsultaciji sa Adnom Muslija (2025).
1Arnela Mahmutović, Whiplash, ulje na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2024.
2Arnela Mahmutović, Where's my love, ulje i obojena olovka na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2024.
3Arnela Mahmutović, I Mean you, ulje na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2024.
4Arnela Mahmutović, Feel I’m ready for my love, ulje i obojena olovka na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2024.
5Arnela Mahmutović, CAO, ulje i grafit na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2022.
6Arnela Mahmutović, Spark of Freedom, ulje i grafit na platnu, 34x46, 2020.
7Arnela Mahmutović, Flower of Freedom, ulje i grafit na platnu, 34x46_2020
8Arnela Mahmutović, Idi OSTANI, ulje i grafit na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2022.
9Arnela Mahmutović, Majka, ulje i grafit na panelu, 8x10 inča, 2022.
10Arnela Mahmutović, Seven for a secret never to be told, ulje na panelu, 24x36 inča, 2022.
11Arnela Mahmutović, Yesterday, ulje na panelu, 24x36 inča, 2021.
12Arnela Mahmutović, Tomorrow, ulje na panelu, 24x36inča, 2021.
