Salim Sheikh

Salim ”Colt21” Sheikh (b. 1983) is a self-educated artist from Turku, Finland – the same city where he was born, raised and has lived his whole life in. He is a son of a Finnish mother and an Indian father. His father is a self-educated artist and a poet. Colt21 has lived his entire childhood (and most of his adulthood) in the local suburbs; residential areas filled with concrete cubes and mostly populated by the working-class. Because of this history in the suburbs he has seen, and heard stories of, many different fates of individual human beings. Sometimes the things seen and heard have been quite harsh. At some point even he himself has been one of those individuals with harsh stories to tell. In some ways these experiences have created the foundation for his artwork. .......................................................................... At the age of 9, in the early 90’s, graffiti culture was introduced to him by his older cousin. Colt21 felt that this culture of spray-painted-letters was something new, something that wasn’t done so much yet… something mysterious. It fascinated him more than anything before, and pretty quickly he got sucked into this new and colourful urb...

Self-educated artist.

Vocational upper secondary qualification in Natural and Environmental Protection/ Competence area in Nature-Based Services, Natural Resources Producer (2015)

High school graduate (2003)

2022 - "Freshcode Art Connection" (group exhibition)
Taiteen talo (Art House), Turku, Finland

2022 - "Posterized" (private exhibition)
Space81, Turku, Finland

2021 - "Freshcode Art Connection" (group exhibition)
Space81, Turku, Finland

2018 - "Freshcode Hip Hop Connection - Colt21 art showcase"
Bar Ö, Turku, Finland

2003 - "Words and Faces -Street Art" (group exhibition)
Gallery Nefret, Turku, Finland