Raz Xaidan is a Kurdish multidisciplinary artist born in Sweden and raised in South London. She spent nearly a decade in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where her creative journey flourished. Known for her innovative archival and multimedia approach, Raz’s work explores Kurdish resistance, cultural resilience, and the celebration of matriarchal figures through layered, evocative art.

In 2014, Raz founded The Darling Beast, a bold creative brand that blends time, identity, resistance, and cultural surrealism. Drawing from her Kurdish heritage and British upbringing, Raz creates art that challenges dominant narratives and gives voice to underrepresented stories. The brand thrived in an independent creative studio based in Erbil, Kurdistan, with strong ties to the region and the global diaspora. Her work has contributed to a wide range of influential projects, from raising awareness of gender-based violence in the region to designing pieces for events that celebrate and commemorate female empowerment.

While Raz is no longer based in Kurdistan, her time there significantly shaped her artistic vision. In 2021, she established The Darling Beast Studios in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, where she also launched a print and merchandise shop. During that time, she initiated a transformative 3-month internship program for young, local women, empowering them to explore their creative potential professionally.

"Raz experiments with other artistic mediums like archival digital imaging. Recasting the past through telling her story, she picks through Kurdish folklore, poetry and art to create images with playful pops of colour. 

Her goal is to write back the women who are misunderstood, written out and forgotten. To remind the world that ancient Kurdish culture was a matriarchal one. With a rhythmic pace and boundless colour, her creative work spurs her followers on a self-discovery trail, dotted with portraits of Kurdish heroines and mythologies of female power that rattle the stereotype of Muslim women in need of saving.

The individual women in her images are often faceless, representing both the multitude of women joined up against repression and the timelessness of the women's struggle across generations." - Burcu Ozcelik

In 2021, Raz launched The Jiyan Archives, a pioneering multimedia platform devoted to preserving and documenting the rich, multifaceted lives, culture, and identities of Kurdish women both in Kurdistan and across the diaspora. The project serves as a powerful archive that amplifies the voices, stories, and experiences of Kurdish women, capturing their resilience, creativity, and diverse narratives that often go unheard. Through an innovative blend of visual storytelling, oral histories, and interactive media, The Jiyan Archives sheds light on the challenges Kurdish women face and celebrates their achievements, strengths, and contributions to their communities. The platform aims to create a living, evolving record that honours the complexity of Kurdish womanhood, bridging generational gaps and connecting individuals from different regions and backgrounds. With its deep focus on empowerment and representation, The Jiyan Archives has quickly become an essential tool for cultural preservation and advocacy, fostering a sense of solidarity and pride within the Kurdish female community worldwide.
 
Selected Exhibitions, Artwork & Publication features:

• 2024, Another World is Possible, Travelling Exhibition - NYC & New Jersey, USA

• 2023, Fire in Their Eyes, Group Exhibition, Kunstlinie - Almere, The Netherlands 

• 2022. The Space Between, Group Exhibition - Goodspace Gallery, Sydney, Australia

• 2022. Baraye Azadi, Fundraiser Exhibition - The Makers Studio, New York, USA 

• 2020. Corona Art, Art Book – Ludvig Rage, Belgium 

• 2020. Women's Empowerment & Professional Development - School of Social Work, Barry University of Miami, Florida. 

• 2019. Jiyan, Group Exhibition – Melbourne Fringe Festival, Australia

• 2019. 100 Women Gallery - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Citadel of Erbil

• 2017. Kurdistan…A Story of Survival, Photo Book - SEED Foundation