Sara Shamma

Sara Shamma (سارة شمّة) (born 26 November 1975) is a UK-based Syrian artist whose paintings are figurative in style. The importance of storytelling and narrative is paramount in her work. Shamma has a long-standing interest in the psychology associated with the suffering of individuals and has made work on the subject of war, modern slavery and human trafficking. Her works can be divided into series that reflect prolonged periods of research.

Professional career
Shamma, was born in Damascus, Syria (1975) to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother. She graduated from the Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Damascus in 1998. She moved to London in 2016 where she currently lives and works, under the auspices of an Exceptional Talent Visa. Shamma has taught at the Adham Ismail Fine Arts Institute in Damascus (1997–2000).

Shamma was selected as one of the prize winners for the 2004 BP Portrait Award. She was subsequently invited to participate in a number of solo and group exhibitions around the world, including Q at the Royal College of Art, 2013, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters' Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in 2013, and NordArt in Büdelsdorf, Germany in 2012. In 2010 she was selected as the 'Celebrity Partner' artist to the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP).

Selected solo exhibitions

 * 2019 – Sara Shamma: Modern Slavery, Bush House, The Strand, King's College London, London
 * 2017 – London, Art Sawa Gallery, Dubai, UAE
 * 2015 – World Civil War Portraits, The Old Truman Brewery, London
 * 2014 – Diaspora, Art Sawa Gallery, Dubai
 * 2013 – Q, Royal College of Art, London
 * 2011 – Birth, Art House, Damascus
 * 2009 – Love, 360 MALL, Kuwait
 * 2008 – Sara Shamma Finishing Touch, Knowledge Village, Dubai
 * 2008 – Sara 1978, Art House, Damascus
 * 2007 – Music, Cornish Club Event Gallery, Kuwait
 * 2004 – Sara Shamma, Kalemaat Art Gallery, Aleppo and Kuwait
 * 2002 – Sara Shamma, Nassir Choura Art Gallery, Damascus
 * 2001 – Sara Shamma, Shell Cultural Club, Damascus
 * 1999 – Sara Shamma, French Cultural Center, Damascus

Selected group exhibitions

 * 2019 – The Ruth Borchard Self-portrait Prize, Piano Nobile, King's Place, London
 * 2019 – Multi-colour, 9 Cork Street, London
 * 2018 – The Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
 * 2018 – New collective show, Mark Hachem Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
 * 2015 – Guest artist, 33rd Emirates Fine Arts Society Annual Exhibition, Sharjah Art Museum
 * 2013 – The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, The Mall Galleries, London
 * 2013 – Florence Biennale, Florence
 * 2012 – Nord Art 2012 organised by KiC – Kunst in der Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf
 * 2010 – Art Prize 2010, Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 * 2010 – Nord Art 2010 organized by KiC – Kunst in der Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf
 * 2010 – Contemporary Art from the Middle East, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai
 * 2008/9 – Damas-Paris, Regards Croisés, The Arab World Institute, Paris and National Museum, Damascus
 * 2008 – UAE Through Arabian Eyes, International Financial Centre, Dubai
 * 2008 – Syrian Artists, Souq Wakef Art Center, Doha
 * 2008 – The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, South Australian Museum, Adelaide and the National Archives of Australia, Canberra
 * 2007 – Panorama of Syrian Arts, Catzen Arts Centre at The American University, Washington D.C.
 * 2006 – Syrian Artists, Syrian Cultural Centre, Paris
 * 2005-06 – International Painting Prize of the Castellon County Council, ESPAId, Castellon and the Municipal Arts Centre of Alcorcon, Madrid
 * 2005 – Women and Arts, International Vision, Expo Sharjah, Sharjah
 * 2004/5 BP Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery, London; Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen; Royal West of England Academy, Bristol; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth
 * 2004 – Syrian Artists, National Library, Madrid
 * 2003 – Festival du Monde Arabe de Montreal, Montreal
 * 2002 – Syrian Artists, Gallery Amber, Leiden and Enschede, The Netherlands
 * 2002 – International Artists, Gallery M-Art, Vienna
 * 2002 – Mediterranean Biennial, Kheir El Din Palace, Tunis
 * 2001 – Two Syrian Artists, Coventry Museum, Coventry
 * 2001 – Sharjah Biennial, Sharjah
 * 2001 – Cairo Biennial, Cairo

Selected public collections

 * British Council
 * National Museum, Damascus
 * Ministry of Culture, Damascus
 * Spanish Cultural Center, Damascus

Awards and honours

 * 2019 – Artist-in-residence with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London
 * 2019 – Shortlisted Asian Women of Achievement Awards, London
 * 2019 – Shortlisted Ruth Borchard Self-portrait Prize, London
 * 2013 – 4th prize and Special Mention, Florence Biennale
 * 2010 – Shortlisted NordArt Prize, the Annual International Exhibition, Kunst in der Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf, Germany
 * 2010 – United Nations Food programmes Celebrity Partner
 * 2009 – Second Prize in Painting of the Art/Literary Competition, Sculptural Pursuit magazine, United States
 * 2008 – 1st prize Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia
 * 2006 – Fine Arts Syndicate Award, Damascus
 * 2006 – Member of the jury for the Annual Exhibition for Syrian Artists, Damascus
 * 2005 – Shortlisted for the International Painting Prize of the Castellon County Council, Castellon, Spain
 * 2004: Fourth Prize at the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK
 * 2002 – Represented Syria in the Mediterranean Biennial, Kheir El Din Palace, Tunis
 * 2001 – 1st prize (Golden Medal) in Latakia Biennial, Syria
 * 2000 – 2nd prize Spanish Cultural Center Art Competition, Damascus
 * 2000 – 2nd prize British Council Art Competition, Damascus
 * 1998 – 2nd prize Youth Exhibition, Damascus

Publications

 * Sara Shamma 2000-05, Damascus'', 2005
 * Sara Shamma 2005-07, Damascus, 2007
 * Sara Shamma Music, Kuwait, 2007
 * Sara Shamma, Damascus, 2008
 * Sara Shamma Love, Kuwait, 2009
 * Sara Shamma 2009-10, Damascus, 2011
 * Sara Shamma Q by Jessica Lack, Royal College of Art, London, 2013
 * Diaspora Sara Shamma by Edward Lucie-Smith, Art Sawa Gallery, Dubai, 2014
 * Sara Shamma by Edward Lucie-Smith and Sacha Craddock, London, 2014
 * World Civil War Portraits: Sara Shamma by Sacha Craddock, Old Truman Brewery, London, 2015
 * London Sara Shamma by Charlotte Mullins, Art Sawa Gallery, London, 2017
 * London Sara Shamma by Charlotte Mullins, London, 2018
 * Sara Shamma: Modern Slavery by Kathleen Soriano and Dr Sian Oram, King's College London, London, 2019