We are proud to present this year’s winner of the Southnord UP NEXT open call: Lidiya Solomon!

Born in Ethiopia, Lidiya Solomon is based in Norway and studies at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. The central themes in her paintings include the feeling of displacement, the search for identity, challenging stereotypes related to sexual identity, and diaspora expectations.

Lidiya believes that each of us carries within a powerful, timeless essence - a ‘living power’. Though shaped by the limitations of this world, some dare to find ways to express their true selves. Through this project, she offers a pause--to allow others to deeply analyze the fragmentation of the fleeting moments, of the full spectrum that the human experience has to offer.

As a refugee, she carries the weight of displacement, the grief of leaving everything familiar behind, and the never-ending hope for a "better life. Her art is a reflection of this journey. The journey of refugees, the stories of those who have dared to imagine, rebuild and sacrifice. The stories are layered and cannot be captured from a single viewpoint.  Through her art, she strives to present these complex narratives, where each perspective is a piece of a larger mosaic. 

The materials she paints on are found wooden boards or used canvases from other painters. This process, she says, allows her an opportunity to fail or sometimes to begin anew, serving as a means of recycling and preserving the memories and histories of those who previously used the materials.