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 42 of 42 authors

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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.
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Marie Tomb

Learn about Marie Tomb, a Lebanese art historian whose research and curatorial work shed light on Arab modern and contemporary art, identity, and artistic exchange.
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Mathilde Ayoub

Explore the research project of Mathilde Ayoub, a French-Syrian curator and PhD student developing research, exhibitions, cultural management, and production projects for contemporary art.
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Adila Laïdi-Hanieh

Discover the career of Adila Laïdi-Hanieh, a writer, art historian, and museologist who has published extensively on Arab and Palestinian art history.
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Deniz Artun

Learn about Deniz Artun, a writer and curator recognised by the French Republic for her contributions to Turkish-French artistic and cultural exchange.
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Zouina Ait Slimani

Learn about Zouina Ait Slimani's research work, her interests in the limits of cosmopolitanism, examined through Iraqi and Arab artists and her upcoming book.

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

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

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

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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