Category: Countries
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Mai Koraiem was born in Alexandria on May 5, 1980. She graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specializing in the Painting Department, in 2003, marking the start of her art journey. In 2013, Mai began her comics career and, in 2015, she published her first graphic novel, “When the Gods Gave Up on Kavafis.”…
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(1954 – 2015) Born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1954, the esteemed artist Wasma Al-Agha graced the world with her creative spirit. As the wife of fellow artist Mahoud Ahmed, she embarked on a lifelong journey that left an indelible mark on the realm of Iraqi art. Her early years were devoted to education; in Baghdad,…
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(1935 – 2016) She was born in Haifa, to Persian parents. She was the great-granddaughter of Baháʼu’lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, although she was not a member of the Baháʼí Community. Maliheh Afnan moved to Beirut with her family in 1949. She received a BA from the American University of Beirut and an…
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Gigi is an Algerian comic artist and freelance illustrator based in Paris. After graduating from Architecture School in Algiers, she is now pursuing a master’s degree in History and Heritage in Paris. She published her first comic book “Rwidjel & The Cat” at the publishing house Dalimen, released during the 14th edition of the Algiers’…
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(1934 – 2023) Souhila Bel Bahar, born in Blida, Algeria, in 1934, was a pioneering painter who played a key role in advancing women’s presence in Algerian art. Alongside peers such as Aïcha Haddad, Fatiha Bisker, Djamila Bent Mohamed, and Kheira Flidjani, she navigated societal constraints, balancing artistic pursuits with family life in a culture…
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(1908 – 2005) Madiha Umar was a pioneer and the first artist to incorporate Arab calligraphy with modern abstract art. Her work is considered to be the precursor to the Hurufiyya movement. She was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1908 from Circassian father and Syrian mother but she moved to Iraq being a young girl.…
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(1944 – 1993) Layla Al-Attar was an Iraqi artist and painter who became the Director of the Iraqi National Art Museum. Through her art, al-Attar expressed ideals that attempted to recognize the importance of women in all spheres of society. Al-Attar graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1965, and was among…
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Born in 1937 in Karbala Governorate, Iraq, Bahija Al-Hakim was a prominent Iraqi artist, celebrated for her contributions to the world of visual arts. Her life was woven with familial bonds and a love for art that left an indelible mark on her journey.In the embrace of a large and loving family, Bahija grew up…
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Leila Bakouche, born in Algiers in 1992, is a multidisciplinary artist with a deep passion for cities, architecture, and the intricate details that define spaces and identities. Growing up near the Mediterranean, she was influenced by the Ottoman and Haussmannian architectural styles. Her love for cities was cultivated throughout her life, leading her to specialize…
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Azza Ezzat (B. 1980) is a Cairo based visual artist, with a background in architecture. She is interested in urban observations and detecting human traces in the built environment. Between the planning of the formal city and the reactions of informal communities, Ezzat searches for hidden cities that are built by impressions, memories and ever…
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(1932 – 2018) Jumana El Husseini was born in Jerusalem on April 2, 1932, to Jamal El Husseini and Nimati al-Alami, members of two prominent Jerusalem families. On her father’s side, her links to Jerusalem extended back to at least the 13th century. She had six brothers and five sisters, including Serene Husseini Shahid, and…
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(1941 – 2004) Nuha Al-Radi was an Iraqi diarist, ceramicist and painter and noted author of the Baghdad Diaries which vividly recounts the horror of living through the first Gulf War. She was born into a distinguished Iraqi family which included Mahmud Shevket Pasha, Prime Minister of the Ottoman Empire. In 1919, her father Mohammed…
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(1919 – 2002) Zeinab Abd al-Hamid was an Egyptian artist known for her color saturated paintings of Egyptian cities.Abd al-Hamid used an array of media, from watercolors to oils. While art historians struggled to place her works in a single art movement, the general consensus is that her paintings are part of the Egyptian modernist…
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(1950 – 2019) Zaha Hadid’s pioneering vision redefined architecture for the 21st century and captured imaginations across the globe. Each of her projects transformed notions of what can be achieved in concrete, steel, and glass; combining her unwavering optimism for the future and belief in the power of invention with advanced design, material and construction…
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( 1919 – 2003) Tahia Halim was born in Cairo while her primary education took place inside the Royal Palace where she was raised, as her father was the chief laureate of King Fouad. In high school she took two years off to learn French, piano and painting under the stewardship of Youssef Taraboulsi, under…