Printmaking, Memory, and Environmental Change: Soghra Khurasani arrives at Artica Svalbard

We are pleased to welcome artist and printmaker Soghra Khurasani to Artica Svalbard for a residency from May to June 2026, nominated by the Queen Sonja Print Award.

Based in Vadodara, Gujarat, Khurasani works across printmaking to explore themes of memory, trauma, ecology, and transformation. Her practice often draws on the metaphors of scars, wounds, and skin—using the physical processes of etching, incision, and layering to reflect on both personal and environmental histories. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, where she received a Special Mention in 2023, alongside solo exhibitions in Mumbai and New York.

During her time in Svalbard, Khurasani will develop a new series of multi-plate etchings inspired by the visible traces of environmental change across the Arctic landscape. She is particularly interested in the scars carried by the terrain itself—melting glaciers, thawing permafrost, and exposed geological layers—and how these processes parallel the marks and textures embedded within printmaking.

Alongside her studio work, Khurasani hopes to engage with the local community and reflect on how people experience and live alongside these ongoing transformations. Through this residency, she will continue her exploration of the relationship between artistic gesture, environmental change, and collective memory.

We look forward to welcoming Soghra to Longyearbyen and following the development of her work during her time in residence.