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 5 of 32 authors

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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.
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Brenda Segone

Get to know Brenda Segone, an art historian and creative writer with interests including transcultural theory, epistemologies, and modernisms.
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Kirsten Scheid

Learn about Kirsten Scheid, a professor whose highlights how modern and contemporary Arab art reshapes social and political life through aesthetics and exhibition.
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Dr Necmi Sönmez

Discover the work of Dr Necmi Sönmez, including his international experience at major institutions, curatorial projects, residencies, and publishing.
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Alex Dika Seggerman

Learn about Alex Dika Seggerman, an associate professor of art history, a doctorate from Yale in the history of art and a 2023-2024 Patricia and Phillip Frost Senior Fellow.

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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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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Zahoor ul Akhlaq

Delve into this Mathaf Encyclopedia entry about Zahoor ul Akhlaq, one of the foremost contemporary artists of Pakistan.

By Samina Iqbal

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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.

Jewad Selim: On Abstraction and Symbolism

By Dr Nada Shabout

Discover the world of modern artist and sculptor Jewad Selim and his work exploring symbolism, abstraction and historical roots.

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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