Susanne Khalil Yusef (1984) makes work about her Palestinian background. In this way she hopes to provide insight into the situation of Palestinians around the world. In her works of art, she incorporates stories and events that she herself or those close to her have experienced. Khalil Yusef makes colourful installations such as murals, paintings, textiles, ceramics, video, performances, bronze sculptures and self-created archives. At first glance, Khalil Yusef's brightly coloured work seems light-hearted and playful, but if you look closely, you will see references to displacement, identity and socio-geographic power relationships.
In her youth, Khalil Yusef lived in five European countries. She and her parents were Palestinian refugees looking for a safe place to live. Currently, Susanne lives and works in the Netherlands. At the age of 25 she received her passport which allowed her to travel and study. In 2018 she graduated from the St Joost academy in 's Hertogenbosch where she received both her bachelor and master in fine art. During her bachelor she spent a semester at the International Academy of Art Palestine in Ramallah.
Khalil Yusef's work has been published in various publications, such as Museumtijdschrift, Metropolis M and Mister Motley. Khalil Yusef has previously exhibited in various museums, including Museum Arnhem and FOAM. The work of Khalil Yusef is included in the collections of Museum Arnhem, the Dutch Textile Museum in Tilburg and the Province of Gelderland. At the moment her work is on show in the Sonsbeek exhibition (2021-2024).