Shefa Salem, in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
: (born 1996) is a Libyan artist, whose art reimagines Libyan heritage through
realistic, large-scale oil-based works and murals. She was listed as one of
''Middle East Eye'''s 'Five Emerging Artists to Watch' in 2021.
Biography
Salem was born in
Benghazi
Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...
in 1996.
A graduate of the
University of Benghazi, she left there in 2021 with a BA in Architecture.
Her realistic, large-scale paintings and murals reimagine the history of Libya through its heritage and archaeology.
Her first solo exhibition was entitled ''I Am Libya''; it took place in 2021 at the
Barah Arts and Culture Centre in Benghazi, where she is based.
Significant works include ''Kaska, Dance of War'' which depicts Libyan soldiers performing a kaska dance of the indigenous Timihu people, first recorded 5000 years ago in
Deir El-Bahari
Deir el-Bahari or Dayr al-Bahri (, , ) is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt. This is a part of the Theban Necropolis.
History
Deir el-Bahari, located on the west ...
.
Another work ''Libyan Flute'' is inspired by an ancient flute which was excavated by archaeologists in Libya.
Salem found her inspiration for this by reading the journal ''
Libyan Studies''.
Another work, ''Funeral Ritual in the Acacus,'' is inspired by cave art from the
Acacus Mountains dating to 4000 BC that featured a boat containing a group of people, one of whom was upside down and believed to be dead.
In 2021 she was listed as one of
''Middle East Eyes 'Five Emerging Artists to Watch.'
Her work has been compared to that of
Tewa Barnosa,
Afra Alashhab and
Malak Elghuel by art patron
Najlaa Elageli.
In 2023 she was awarded a grant by Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy) to produce a new series of work entitled ''Ethnolibya.'' The resulting exhibition was shown in December 2024 at Bernice University of Architecture and Urbanism in Benghazi, and in January 2025 at Iskandar House for Arts in Tripoli. Works in the exhibition are inspired by the writing of
Muhammad Al-Tarhouni and the poetry of
Hamza Al-Falah.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1996 births
Living people
21st-century Libyan people
21st-century Libyan women
21st-century painters
21st-century women artists
Libyan painters
Muralists
People from Benghazi
Realist artists
University of Benghazi alumni
Women muralists
Women painters
Libyan women artists