Culture / Society

How I Got Here with photographer Ikram Abdulkadir: "Don't look for validation from others"

By Sidsel Bjornseth

Learn from the creative journey of Ikram Abdulkadir, a 27-year-old photographer and poet based in Malmö who went from garnering tips from YouTube tutorials to shooting for adidas and singer Seinabo Sey

The fashion industry can be a difficult nut to crack, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. In our new monthly series How I Got Here, we hear from Scandinavia's most exciting young creatives on how they made it – and the advice they would offer their younger selves.

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Meet Ikram Abdulkadir, a poet and social work student turned successful, self-taught photographer.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, she came to Sweden when she was two and grew up in Malmö. Her interest in photography started with taking simple photos with her phone over a decade ago. She says the quality was terrible, but it was mostly for fun. Nonetheless, it sparked an interest in the medium.

She got her first camera seven years ago. "I didn't know what to do with it, and I hardly touched it," she says. But in 2017, she started taking pictures of her friends and family and posting them on her Instagram. "That was the year I started focusing on the art and craft of photography."

When scrolling through her Instagram, you find striking portraits of black women in the Muslim community. The use of composition, colour and light foregrounds the wisdom and strength of those she portrays. Abdulkadir is all about celebrating the beauty of her loved ones, and it's no surprise that her friends and family are her favourite subjects.

Although today she undertakes assignments for adidas (shooting the Swedish national football teams this summer), she started fresh; her only previous experience in the creative field was competing in slam poetry. As a self-taught photographer, YouTube has been a faithful friend. Online tutorials and countless hours behind the camera allowed her to ditch auto mode and become a "real photographer", she says.

She started posting regularly, and soon people began noticing her work. "Things snowballed from there," she says. She was nominated for an art grant and invited to do an editorial with singer Seinabo Sey – a dream come true for her. She was invited to showcase her work in Swedish galleries and museums, and in 2020 she had her first solo exhibition 'We Will Meet Again in Paradise' at Skånes konstförening.

"Things happen when you least expect it," she says. "I try to stay open and say yes to new opportunities to see where it takes me. I started in the arts field, and in the last couple of years, I've worked to bridge the gap between art and commercial photography, bringing my unique visual language into commercial projects."

To this end, she has worked with brands such as Sneakersnstuff and Nelly and her work has been published in STYLEBY Magazine, Vice Arabia and Bum Bum Magazine. "I choose my projects based on how much creative freedom it offers," she says.

Eager to create social change, Abdulkadir enrolled in Social Work and Human Rights at the University of Malmø. But she paused her studies earlier this year, because "photography got in the way," she says. She soon discovered what an empowering tool photography can be.

I try to stay open and say yes to new opportunities to see where it takes me.

Ikram Abdulkadir

The idea of representation is key to why Abdulkadir wanted to document life as she knows it in Malmö, Sweden. Being an immigrant and Somali woman growing up in the neighbourhood of Rosengård, an area with low socioeconomic status, she offers a unique perspective. "I think it's important to tell stories that are not sensational and not about violence or poverty. Images that honour lived life and the meaningful moments people created in unlikely places," she says.

Last year she published the photo book Minns du havet, abaayo?, reflecting on her relationship to the ocean. Her current project is an ongoing memory work and history writing project together with the municipality in Malmö, exploring the role of art in the public sphere and how it can help shape our understanding of racism and social justice.

What advice would she give to someone who wants to break into photography? "Go out there and shoot for your enjoyment, do not look for validation from others. That is how to find your unique visual expression," she says.

She is inspired by the work of strong black female photographers that came before her and, like Russian Ghanian Liz Johnson Artur, offer an intimate look at individuals and communities across the African diaspora. Though her own surroundings also play a major role: "I think what inspires me the most is strolling around a city, people-watching and taking it all in," she says.

She tries to live by the motto, "try everything once". "If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to trust my instincts even more. I wouldn't do anything differently; my path led me to where I am today, and I'm very content with my life. I've made mistakes, but I've learned from them."

Unlocking her full creative potential, she hopes to expand into moving images. Directing music videos is on her bucket list. "Kendrick Lamar would be a dream collaboration. It's important to have dreams, right?" she says. With her sheer hard work and a positive mindset, the sky's the limit for Ikram Abdulkadir.