Impressive Opening of Waris Dirie’s Exhibition “Mogadishu Blues” at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna
With the opening of “Mogadishu Blues” on April 23, 2025, Waris Dirie made her first public appearance as a visual artist, revealing a new, deeply personal facet of her extraordinary life journey. The five-day exhibition offers intimate insights into a biography marked by rupture and new beginnings — turning the Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna into a place of encounter with memory, emotion, and artistic self-assertion.
Dirie’s 29 acrylic paintings — powerful, intuitive, raw yet sensitive — immerse visitors in a visual diary: memories of her childhood in Somalia, the hardships of fleeing, the tenderness of a mother’s love, the pain of loss, and the strength of friendship. Despite being self-taught, her works impress with their clear compositions, confident, decisive brushstrokes — and the authenticity of an artist who tells her story through colors rather than words.
“My life is shaped by action. The work on canvas is the result of my life, which I want to share with you,” explains Waris Dirie.
Entrepreneur Christian Jäger was not only a guest that evening but also shared moving words. He shares a long-standing friendship with Waris Dirie, as well as a commitment to social engagement in Africa. Since 2024, Christian Jäger has been building and operating the “Dr. Manfred Jäger Educational Centers” in Africa, named in honor of his father — a project implemented in collaboration with the *Desert Flower Foundation* founded by Waris Dirie. Both Jäger’s schools and Dirie’s foundation work to protect girls from female genital mutilation and promote sustainable education initiatives.
“Since founding the Desert Flower Foundation in Vienna in 2002, we have pursued one central goal: ending female genital mutilation. Worldwide, around 250 million women are affected — a shocking figure! To bring about sustainable change, we are currently working with 15 international partner organizations. A major milestone was the opening of our first center for the holistic treatment of affected women in 2013. However, prevention is crucial — and education is the strongest tool we have. Eight Desert Flower schools have already been established, and a ninth is currently in planning — in close cooperation with Christian Jäger,” says Walter Lutschinger, Director of the Desert Flower Foundation.
The artworks in the exhibition are not available for regular purchase but can be acquired through a donation to the *Desert Flower Foundation* founded by Waris Dirie.
Waris Dirie, born in 1965 in Somalia, gained worldwide recognition through her autobiography “Desert Flower” and her decades-long fight against female genital mutilation. As a UN Special Ambassador, bestselling author, and founder of the Desert Flower Foundation — which implements education and protection projects for girls worldwide — she has played a key role in shaping the global discourse on human rights and female empowerment. With “Mogadishu Blues”, she now presents herself for the first time also as a visual artist.
More information at: desertflowerfoundation.org
Information about the Dr. Manfred Jäger Educational Centers in Africa: Dr. Manfred Jäger Educational Center
