Authors

The authors are a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners who provide original essays shaping the discourse on modern and contemporary art in the SWANA region. Their essays present distinct ways of understanding the region’s artistic practices and cultural histories. Grounded in academic rigour and deep engagement with the region’s artistic histories and practices, their work ensures that artists are represented with depth, nuance, and intellectual integrity.
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Showing 47 of 47 authors

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Miriam Jewad Selim

Read this biography about author Miriam Jewad Selim, author of renown artists Lora and Jewad Selim.
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Mohamed-Ali Berhouma

Read about researcher and art historian Mohamed-Ali Berhouma in this biography.
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Zaineb Jewad Selim

Find out more about reader, researcher and author Zaineb Jewad Selim in this biography entry.
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Sophie Kazan Makhlouf

Learn about Sophie Kazan Makhlouf, a researcher, educator and author challenging Western-centred approaches to art history, in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Zahra A. Hussein Ali

Discover the work of Zahra A. Hussein Ali, whose research explores comparative literature and visual culture, in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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May Muzaffar

Learn about Iraqi poet, short story writer, art critic, and translator May Muzaffar in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Mouna Mekouar

Find out more about curator and art critic Mouna Mekouar in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Brahim Alaoui

Find out more about art historian, curator, and artistic director Brahim Alaoui in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Dr. Nada Shabout

Learn more about art history professor Dr Nada Shabout in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Abdellah Karroum

Read about curator, writer, and educator Abdellah Karroum in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath

Learn more about Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, directors of Hamburger Bahnhof—National Gallery of Contemporary Art, in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Carolyn Christov Bakargiev

Learn about about educator, curator, and former museum director Carolyn Christov Bakargiev in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Olga Nefedova

Read about art historian Olga Nefedova and her research on Arab art students in the USSR and the history of Arab-Soviet cultural relations.
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Anahi Alviso-Marino

Explore the work of multifaceted political scientist Anahi Alviso-Marino, including varied multimedia research-creation contributions.
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Ghadeer Sadeq

Read about researcher and writer Ghadeer Sadeq and the art initiative that inspires her current work.
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Aparna Andhare

Get to know Aparna Andhare, an art historian, curator, and writer, whose ongoing project is committed to interpreting historical art forms.

Featured Biographies

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Hamed Abdalla

Learn about Egyptian artist Hamed Abdalla in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.

By Mehri Khalil
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Jellal Ben Abdallah

Explore self-taught Tunisian artist Jellal Ben Abdallah's life and career trajectory in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.

By Beya Othmani
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Yousef Ahmad

Read about artist Yousef Ahmad, a pioneering figure of modern and contemporary art in Qatar, in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.
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Tamam al-Akhal

Delve into the life and work of Tamam al-Akhal, a foundational figure in modern Palestinian art, in this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry.

By Lina Ramadan

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Ahmed Cherkaoui: Decode his Memory

By Brahim Alaoui

Explore this essay by researcher, museum director and juror Brahim Alaoui about the life, work and genius of Moroccan painter Ahmed Cherkaoui.

Artists in Context

By Dr. Nada Shabout

Discover the works of five pioneering artists who redefined modern art in the Arab world by intertwining personal experience, cultural heritage, and bold artistic innovation.

Drawing Chronicles: Wael Shawky’s Cabaret Crusades and the Fall of Teleological History

By Carolyn Christov Bakargiev

Discover how artist Wael Shawky reimagines history through his Cabaret Crusades trilogy using marionettes, elaborate scenography and classical Arabic speech.

About the Encyclopedia

Main Page

Explore the Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern and Contemporary Arab Art. Discover artist biographies, essays, and scholarly insights.

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