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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Nour Asalia

Learn about Nour Asalia, a Syrian artist, researcher, and scholar whose writings focus on modern and contemporary Syrian art.
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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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Farid Zahi

Learn about Farid Zahi, a writer, philosopher, publisher and awardee of the Moroccan Prize for Translation and the Sharjah Prize for Arab Art Studies.
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Joan Grandjean

Explore the works of Joan Grandjean, an art historian specialising in contemporary art from the Arab world and his many notable publications.
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Nancy Adajania

Learn about the curatorial journey of Nancy Adajania and her exhibitions including one that showcased the first-ever mapping the women’s movement in India.
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Saleem Al-Bahloly

Discover the work of art historian Saleem Al-Bahloly whose research explores the intersection of modern art and religious traditions.
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Laura Barlow

Discover the work of visionary curator Laura Barlow across museums, non-profit organisations, and independent art spaces.
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Emma Chubb

Explore the work of curator and scholar Emma Chubb and learn about her first retrospective project for one of North Africa’s most important artists.
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Sarah Dwider

Learn about the work of doctoral candidate Sarah Dwider and her research centering around modern art in Egypt.
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Sarah Rogers

Get to know Sarah Rogers an art historian and curator specialising in modern and contemporary art of the Arab world, Iran, and Turkey, currently a visiting assistant professor and president-elect of AMCA.
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Ranjit Hoskote

Explore the influential curatorial projects and writings of poet and curator Ranjit Hoskote, including museum retrospectives of major artists and his essays on the global art world.
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Clare Davies

Learn about the work of curator Clare Davies, her landmark exhibitions and about her PhD in Egyptian art history.
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Samina Iqbal

Get to know Samina Iqbal, her research interests focused on modern art and a comparative study of what modern art entailed for neighbouring countries of Pakistan.
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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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Nadia Radwan

Get to know Nadia Radwan an art historian, curator and researcher specialising in modern art from the Middle East and currently working on publishing her thesis on resilience and abstraction.
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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.

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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