Sama Alshaibi

Sama Alshaibi’s multimedia work explores spaces of conflict and the power struggles that arise in the aftermath of war and exile. The artist is particularly interested in how such clashes occur between citizens and the state, creating vexing crises that impact the physical and psychic realms of the individual as resources and land, mobility, political agency, and self-affirmation are compromised. Alshaibi is Chair and Professor of Photography at University of Arizona, USA. She was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Fellowship (2014-2015) as part of a residency at the Palestine Museum in Ramallah. Aperture Foundation (New York) published her first monograph, “Sama Alshaibi: Sand Rushes In,” (2015). Her 15 solo exhibitions include “Silsila” (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 2016 and Herbert F. Johnson Museum, 2017), “Collapse” (Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, 2015), “Sand Rushes In” (Ayyam Gallery, London 2015), and “vs. Him” (Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai, 2011). Biennials include VIII Tashkent Biennale of Contemporary Art (2016), FotoFest International Biennial (Houston, 2014 and Abu Dhabi, 2015), Honolulu Biennial (Hawaii, 2014) and the 55th Venice Biennale (Italy, 2013). Her group exhibitions include MARTa Herford (Germany, 2017), Bonington Gallery (UK), MoMA (NYC), Arab American National Museum (Michigan), Busan Museum of Art (South Korea), Edge of Arabia (London), Institut Du Monde Arabe (Paris), Headlands Center for the Arts (San Francisco), Barjeel Foundation (Sharjah), Bronx Museum (NYC), Darat Al-Funun (Amman), Exit Art (NYC), and Museum of Contemporary Art (Denver). Alshaibi’s participations in festivals and fairs include Paris Photo, Photo Shanghai, Art Dubai, Art London, Photo London, Pulse Art Miami, Pingyao Photography Festival (China), Instants Video Festival (Mexico), Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Greece), MADATAC New Media Festival (Madrid), Moving Image Contemporary Video Art Fair (NYC and London) and the London, Toronto, NYC, Chicago and Houston Palestinian Film Festivals. She has been featured in Photo District News, L’Oile de la Photographie, LensCulture, NY Times, Ibraaz, Bluin Artinfo, Contact Sheet, Contemporary Practices, Harpar’s Bazaar, The Guardian, CNN, Huffington Post and Hysteria. Her public collections include Houston Museum of Fine Art, The Getty Museum, Lightwork, Barjeel Art Foundation, Nadour Collection, En Foco Collection, Khaled Shoman Collection and Salsali Museum.