SARA SHAMMA

Sara Shamma Born 1975 in Damascus, Syria. Lives and works in London

Education

• 1998 Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts (Painting Department), Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
• 1995 Graduated from Adham Ismaiil Fine Arts Institute, Damascus, Syria.

Other activities

• 2020 -2023 Member of the University of Cambridge Museums Legacies of Empire & Enslavement Advisory Group, UK. 2019 Member of the jury of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Portrait, Birmingham, UK.
• 2006 Member of the jury of The Annual Exhibition for Syrian Artists held by the Ministry of Culture, Damascus, Syria.
• 2004 Member of the jury of graduation show, ESMOD Fashion Institute, Damascus, Syria.
• 1997-2000 Taught in Adham Ismaiil Fine Arts Institute, Damascus, Syria.

Residency

• 2019 King’s College London Artist in residence. Working with the university’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IOPPN) and the     Helen Bamber Foundation.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• 2024-2025 Sara Shamma: Echoes of 12 years, National Museum of Damascus, Damascus, Syria. 2023-2024 Sara Shamma: Bold Spirits, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, UK.
• 2022 “Age” curated by Fatina Al Sayed at Contemporary Art Platform CAP Kuwait, Kuwait.
• 2021 Sara Shamma: Modern Slavery, Ely Cathedral, Ely, UK.
• 2021 Sara Shamma: Modern Slavery, Stockwood Discovery center, Luton, UK.
• 2020 Sara Shamma: Modern Slavery, curated by Kathleen Soriano, Chester Cathedral, Chester, UK.
• 2019 Sara Shamma: Modern Slavery, curated by Kathleen Soriano, Bush House Arcade, London, UK.
• 2017 “London” Art Sawa Gallery, Dubai, UAE
• 2015 “World Civil War Portraits” curated by Sacha Craddock at The Old Truman Brewery, London, UK 2014 “Diaspora” Art Sawa Gallery, Dubai, UAE.
• 2013 “Q” Royal College of Art, London, UK.
• 2011 “Birth” Art House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2009 “The Sema Ceremony from Turkey with Sara Shamma’s Dervishes” event organized by the Turkish Embassy in Damascus and Art House, Art House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2009 “Love 2009” curated by Fatina Al Sayed at 360 MALL, Kuwait.
• 2008 “Sara Shamma 2008” ‘Finishing Touch’, Knowledge Village, Dubai, U.A.E.
• 2008 “Sara 1978” Art House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2007 “Music 2007” curated by Fatina Al Sayed at Cornish Club Event Gallery, Kuwait.
• 2007 “Sara Shamma 2007” Art House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2004 “Sara Shamma 2004” Kalemaat Art Gallery, Aleppo, Syria.
• 2004 “Sara Shamma 2004” curated by Fatina Al Sayed at Karizma Art Gallery, Kuwait.
• 2002 “Sara Shamma 2002” Nassir Choura Art Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
• 2001 “Sara Shamma 2001” Shell Cultural Club, Damascus, Syria.
• 2000 “Sara Shamma 2000” Nassir Choura Art Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
• 1999 “Sara Shamma 1999” French Cultural Center, Damascus, Syria.

Selected Group Exhibitions

• 2023 “Tribute to Nizar Sabour” Art House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2023 “Lights Through the Wounds” Foundry by Emaar, Dubai, UAE.
• 2022 Moral Fibers, Migrate Art collaboration with Love Welcomes, Design District, London, UK.
• 2022 Art for Chance (Children Against Cancer), Mark Hachem Gallery, Paris, France.
• 2022 RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK.
• 2022 “From Rome to Ripon” exhibition and commission, Ripon Cathedral, Ripon, UK.
• 2022 The World-Wide Fund for Nature Singapore’s AR-mazing Tiger Trail, curated by Chris Westbrook, and auctioned by Sotheby’s, Singapore.
• 2021 RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK.
• 2021 Tusk Lion Trail is a high-profile sculpture trail curated by Chris Westbrook, and auctioned by Bonhams, London, UK.
• 2021 Exhibition organized by Michael Schmidt-Ott, The Challery Gallery and auction with Sotheby’s, Vienna, Austria.
• 2020 Modern to Contemporary Female Middle Eastern Artist, Mark Hachem Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon.
• 2019 Middle Eastern, Modern and Contemporary Art, Christie’s, London, UK.
• 2019 Beirut Art Fair, Beirut, Lebanon.
• 2019 Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize, Piano Nobile gallery, London, UK
• 2019 Multicolor exhibition and auction, 9 Corck street gallery and Phillips’s auction house, London.
• 2018 The Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK.
• 2018 New collective show, Mark Hachem Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon.
• 2015 Guest artist at the 33rd Emirates Fine Arts Society Annual Exhibition, Sharjah Art Museum.
• 2013 Florence Biennial, Florence, Italy.
• 2013 The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, The Mall Galleries, London. 2012 Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art Part II, Christie’s Dubai, UAE.
• 2012 “Nord Art 2012” Annual International Exhibition, organized by KiC – Kunst in der Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf, Germany.
• 2011 Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art, Christie’s,Dubai, UAE.
• 2011 The Samawi Collection, Ayyam Art gallery, Dubai, UAE.
• 2011 Syrian Cutural days in Turkey organied by The Ministry of Culture, Istanbul, Turkey.
• 2010 Art Prize 2010, Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
• 2010 “Nord Art 2010” Annual International Exhibition, Curated by KiC – Kunst in der Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf, Germany.
• 2010 Contemporary art from the Middle East, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, UAE.
• 2009 International Modern & Contemporary Art, Christie’s, Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai, UAE.
• 2009 “Contemporary Istanbul” International Art Fair, Istanbul, Turkey.
• 2009 “Jableh Cultural Festival, 5th Edition” Jableh, Syria.
• 2009 “Let it be Jewelry” an Exhibition of unique jewelry designed by artists from the Arab World, organized by Sayegh Jewelry at Art House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2009 Sana’a international forum for plastic arts, Sana’a, Yemen
• 2008/09 “Damas- Paris, Regards Croisés” The Arab World Institute, Paris, France and at the National Museum, Damascus, Syria.
• 2008 “UAE Through Arabian Eyes” the International Financial Centre, Dubai, UAE.
• 2008 “Syrian Artists” Souq Wakef Art Center, Doha, Qatar.
• 2008 “The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize” South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia and the National Archives of Australia in Canberra, Australia.
• 2008 Retrospective of fine arts in Syria, National Museum of Damasus, Syria.
• 2007 “Panorama of Syrian Arts” Catzen Arts Centre the American University Washington, D.C. USA.
• 2006 “Syrian Artists” Syrian Cultural Centre, Paris, France.
• 2005/06 “International Painting Prize of the Castellon County Council” ESPAI (the Contemporary Art Centre), Castellon and the Municipal Arts Centre of Alcorcon, Madrid, Spain.
• 2005 “Women and Arts, International Vision” Expo Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
• 2004 – 2005 “BP Portrait Award” National Portrait Gallery, London, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol and Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth, UK.
• 2004 “Syrian Artists” National Library, Madrid, Spain.
• 2004 “Syrian Artists” Kalemaat art Gallery, Aleppo, Syria.
• 2003 “FMA – Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal” Montreal, Canada.
• 2003 “International Women Arts” Organized by Le Pont Art Gallery, Aleppo, Syria.
• 2002 “Syrian Artists” Gallery Amber, Leiden and Enschede, The Netherlands.
• 2002 “International Artists” Gallery Kleine, Vienna, Austria.
• 2002 “Mediterranean Biennial” (representing Syria) Kheir El Din  Palace, Tunis, Tunisia.
• 2002 “Arab Artists” Dar AL Anda Art Gallery, Amman, Jordan.
• 2001 “ARTUEL” International Art Fair, Beirut, Lebanon.
• 2001 “Two Syrian Artists” Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry, UK.
• 2001 “Lattakia Biennial” Lattakia, Syria.
• 2001 “Sharjah Biennial” Sharjah, UAE.
• 2001 “Cairo Biennial” Cairo, Egypt.
• 2001 “Women and War Art Exhibition” The Red Cross International Committee of Syria, Jordan and Switzerland.
• 2001 Absolument Femme, Imar gallery, Latakia, Syria
• 2000 Monte Roza Symposium for Syrian and Lebanese artists, Damascus, Syria.
• 1994 to 2005 Participated in all Ministry of Culture’s Exhibitions in Syria and abroad.
• 1994 to 2005 Participated in different exhibitions in Damascus: National Museum of Damascus, Al Assad National Library, Damascus International Fair, Al Shaab Art Gallery, Al Riwaq Art Gallery, Arabic Cultural Center, Spanish Cultural Center, British Council, Albal Art Gallery, Al Sayed Art Gallery, Ashtar Art Gallery, Jabri Art Gallery, Occasions + art, Croquis Art Gallery, Holly Cross Halls, and Kozah Art Gallery.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2021 Honored by The Minister of Culture at the Opera House, Damascus, Syria.
• 2019 Shortlisted for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards (AWA), London, UK.
• 2013 Fourth prize in painting, and Special Mention, Florence Biennial, Florence, Italy.
• 2011 Nominated as the Celebrity Partner of The United Nations World Food Programme. The revealing of Shamma’s painting: “Fighting Hunger”at Damascus Opera House during the premiere of Syrian film director, Nabil Al-Maleh’s movie: “Story of a Painting”. “Fighting Hunger” was then exhibited at The National Museum of Damascus. 5 paintings were exhibited during WFP Regional Meeting in Mövenpick Hotel in Dead Sea, Jordan.
• 2010 Shortlisted for the Nord Art Prize, Annual International Exhibition, organised by KiC (Kunst in der Carlshütte), Büdelsdorf, Germany.
• 2008 First Prize in Painting, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, The South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
• 2006 Fine Arts Syndicate Award, Damascus, Syria.
• 2005 Shortlisted for the International Painting Prize of the Castellon County Council, Castellon, Spain.
• 2004 Fourth Prize, BP Portrait Award. The National Portrait Gallery, London, UK.
• 2001 First Prize (The Golden Medal), Latakia Biennial (Painting), Latakia, Syria.
• 2000 Second prize in the Spanish Cultural Center Art Competition, Damascus, Syria.
• 2000 Second prize, British Council Art Competition, Damascus, Syria.
• 1998 Second prize, Youth Exhibition organized by the Fine Arts Syndicate, Damascus, Syria.
• 1998 Ranked First among graduates (First Prize) in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Damascus University, Syria.

Collections 

Public Collections:

• Presidential Palace, Ministry of Culture, National Museum, British Council, Spanish Cultural Center, Damascus, Syria. The Ministry of Culture and Youth UAE.

Private Collections in:

• Austria, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Netherland, Qatar, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.