Khairullah Rahim
Artist in residence, Stockholm, 3 March–25 May 2025
Khairullah Rahim is a Singapore-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans installation, object-making, painting, photography, and time-based media. His work explores themes of queerness, POZ resilience, and working-class experiences, with a focus on strategies of resourcefulness and survival in systems of pervasive surveillance. Rahim critically examines the ethics of visibility and disclosure, often advocating for the indispensable role of opacity in representation. Through collaboration and critical inquiry, he engages with veiled narratives within his community, addressing intersections of desire, ambition, labour, resistance, and safety. Materially, he experiments extensively with the sheen, reflection, and refraction of synthetic polymers, as seen in his use of rhinestones.
Courtesy of the artist.
pigeon (people like us)
During his time at IASPIS, Rahim will continue to develop his research into the politics and tactics of surveillance, specifically how marginalised communities have historically navigated and resisted such systems. This residency also marks a pivotal period for him to further explore and experiment with moving image as a medium, expanding his multidisciplinary practice.
Rahim holds an MFA in Visual Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University (2023), New Jersey, USA; and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) from LASALLE College of the Arts (2013), Singapore, where he currently works as an adjunct lecturer.
His works have been exhibited internationally at the Barbican Centre, London; Tai Kwun, Hong Kong; CCA, Glasgow; Tiger Strikes Asteroid, New York; Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Thailand; and National Gallery Singapore, among others. He has undertaken artist residencies at Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria; Facebook, Singapore; Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, China; Taipei Artist Village, Taiwan; and YOUKOBO Art Residency Programme, Japan. Notable projects include the 6th Singapore Biennale, curated by Patrick Flores, presented at Gillman Barracks, Singapore; “Silent Hands”, curated by Rotana Shaker, Zain Al Saie, and Jean Wong, presented at Hayy Jameel, Saudi Arabia; and “HIV Science as Art”, curated by Daniel Cordner and Jessica Whitbread, presented at Brainlab, Germany. Rahim was awarded the 2017 IMPART Award in the Visual Arts category. His works are part of the collections of the Singapore Art Museum, and the SUNPRIDE Foundation.
@khairullahrahim