Sama Alshaibi

Sama Raena Alshaibi
سما الشيبي
Sama Alshaibi at her exhibition, The Arab Body, Italy, c. 2010
Born1973 (age 50–51)
Basra, Iraq
NationalityIraqi-Palestinian American
EducationColumbia College, Chicago (photojournalism); University of Colorado, Boulder (photography, video and media arts)
Known forPhotography, video art and installation art
Websitesamaalshaibil.com

Sama Raena Alshaibi also known as Sama Alshaibi (Arabic: سما الشيبي born 1973 in Basra, Iraq) is a conceptual artist (video art, performative photography, sculpture and installation), who deals with spaces of conflict as her primary subject. War, exile, power and the quest for survival are themes seen in her works. She often uses her own body in her artwork as a representation of the country or an issue she is dealing with.

Sama Alshaibi was named a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow in Photography.[1] She has exhibited extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa since 2003. She has held solo exhibitions in New York, London, Dubai, Guatemala City, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Arizona. Her project Silsila was exhibited at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), as part of the Maldives Pavilion.[2] In 2019, she was selected as an artist in residence at Artpace San Antonio that culminated with a solo exhibition titled “Until Total Liberation.”[3] She also represented the United States at the 13th International Cairo Biennale in 2019.[4] Her video work Wasl (Arabic for "Union" – 2017) was included in the inaugural 2017 Honolulu Biennial.[5] She has been selected as one of 60 artists for the State of the Art 2020 (Crystal Bridges, Arkansas) curated by Lauren Haynes.[6]

  1. ^ "Sama Alshaibi". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Venues – Artists". Maldives Pavilion – 55th Venice Biennale. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Sama Alshaibi". Artpace. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Sama Alshaibi – USA". Cairo Biennale. 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Sama Alshaibi in the 2017 Honolulu Biennial". Ayyam Gallery. 2017. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  6. ^ "The Momentary and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Unveil the 59 Artists to be Featured in State of the Art 2020". Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. 11 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.