Khabat Abas is a cellist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist from Kurdistan. Her work explores time, space, and memory through music, everyday sounds, and noises. She delves deeply into how we experience sound, particularly in various geopolitical contexts. Abas uses her instrument beyond traditional norms—improvising, composing, creating videos and sound installations, crafting cellos from diverse materials, and incorporating her body into performances. Through this approach, her work merges politics with personal expression, challenging conventional values and control.
Khabat has performed with various ensembles, including the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, the Sulaymaniyah String Orchestra, the Gothenburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, and the Non-Ensemble for Experimental Music in Sweden, as well as theLondon Improvisation Orchestra and one orchestra new, Noise Women. She has also collaborated with curators, artists and musicians in Kurdistan-Iraq, Sweden, Germany, and the UK., Aba’s electro-acoustic cello piece was performed in Slemani-Kurdistan as a part of the Global Listening Biennial. She performed in Irtijal festival in Beirut Lebanon, Space21 festival in Slemani in Iraq Kurdistan, Breachin Nicosia, Cyprus, Borderline Festival Athens, Soundout festival Caberra Australia,
DAAD Artists Fellowship for 2026 in Berlin.