Every image is a rebel with a cause
Shurooq Amin is a Kuwaiti/Syrian mixed-media interdisciplinary artist and an Anglophone poet, renowned for raising controversial questions via her raw images and taboo subject matter. She has been listed as one of Kuwait's 45 most inspirational people by Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah in her book The Alchemy of Wisdom, and one of Kuwait's 50 "Stars" by Layalina. Listed as one of the five "hottest" artists from the Middle East today by Your Middle East journal, 2012. On April 17th 2013, Shurooq was awarded the title of Artist of the Year by the Arab Woman Awards, Kuwait chapter. She is represented exclusively by Ayyam Gallery, Dubai.
Her paintings can be found at the Bayan Palace/Amiri Diwan (Kuwait), the Museum of Modern Art (Kuwait), OPEC headquarters (Vienna), the Shiseido company (Paris), private international art groups (Mirca Art Group, Sweden), local private companies, and in private collections in New York, Damascus, Dubai, Cairo, Amsterdam, London, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Her work has been sold at auctions (including Christie's), been commissioned privately and publicly, awarded various prizes locally and internationally, and shown at biennales and art fairs. She has appeared on numerous interviews on local and international television, as well as newspapers, journals, and magazines, such as Reuters, Marie Claire, Arabian Business, Financial Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Gulf News, The Daily News, Al-Arabiya, etc. A retrospective of her work was recently featured in the biannual art journal Contemporary Practices: Visual Arts from the Middle East. Her 2010 series The Society Girls was exhibited at the Tilal Gallery in November 2010, and became an urban cult in private collections. Her series entitled The Bullet Series was shown at London's Lahd Gallery in March 2011 for six weeks. The work was a series of socio-political paintings which culminated with a Hornet bullet being shot through each painting with a rifle at a range of 50 meters by the artist. A documentary accompanied the show, and the original bullet casing accompanied each painting. Her series It's a Man's World was exhibited in Kuwait at Al M Gallery. The controversial nature of the work and its inherent message caused the show to be shut down and the paintings to be censored and banned in Kuwait. The scandal caused a social media uproar and brought the attention and support of the international media and fans to the artist and her message. Her most recent series Popcornographic was exhibited at Ayyam Gallery during Art Dubai, March 2013.
Shurooq's poetry has been published into two books to date, in more than 40 literary journals across the globe, and has been anthologized in the Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf Poetry by Ithaca Publishers in association with the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar. Her second volume of poetry “The Hanging of the Wind” is taught as part of the contemporary literature curriculum in universities in the Gulf. She is the first Kuwaiti to be nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in December 2007 in the USA.
Academic Degrees:
2007 - PhD in Creative Writing from Warnborough College (specializing in Modern Poetry in the subject of Ekphrastic Art and Poetry).
1989 - Master’s Degree from Kent University, England, in Modern Literature (specializing in Modern Poetry).
1988 - BA in English Literature from Kuwait University (minor in French).
1984 - O'Levels from New English School, Kuwait.
2004 - Diploma in Interior Decorating from Thomson Education Direct (specializing in Feng Shui consultation).
Awards, Certificates and Nominations:
2013 April 17th - Awarded title of Artist of the Year by the Arab Woman Awards, Kuwait, ITP.
2013 April 17th - Blind New World from the series Popcornographic auctioned at Christies Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art, Part II. Dubai.
2012 October 22: - The Big Bling (part of the censored It's a Man's World series) sold at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai. Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000. Sold for $12,800.
- Print of I Like Him, I Like Her (from It's a Man's World) also auctioned. Edition 1/25. Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sold for $2,800.
2012 May 15th: Shurooq's painting My Harem in Heaven (part of the censored It's a Man's World series) was sold at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai.
2012 April 18th: Hala Feb Baby from the Society Girls series sold at the Christie's auction for the United Nations World Food Program held in Dubai.
2011 December 2nd: Judge in Red Bull's international art competition Art of Can, held at 360 mall, Kuwait.
2011- February 8/9: "My Louboutins", the last painting from the Society Girls series sold at the JAMM Art Auction, co-founded by Lulu Al-Sabah, held at the Avenues, Kuwait, auctioneered by Aileen Agopian.
2010 – February 16/17: “Society Girls” from the series Society Girls came third top bid at the Inaugural Auction of Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art, held in Kuwait at Al-Corniche Club, by JAMM, co-founded by Lulu Al-Sabah; auctioneers Philips de Pury of New York.
2010 - Held the position of the Kuwait judge for the “Inspirational Woman” competition hosted/sponsored by Ahlan magazine and Philadelphia company, Dubai, which culminated in a Gala Dinner held at Raffles Hotel in Dubai to award the winners.
2009 – Awarded the OPEC Vienna Headquarters commission for two large scale paintings to be permanently exhibited in the OPEC Vienna building, represented by Ms Fatina Al-Sayed, curator of Fine Arts.
2009 – Awarded the Derwaza VIP Lounge at Kuwait Airport contract for one year to provide the Derwaza with customized paintings.
2009 - Award for Grand Jury duty in the World E-Summit Award, by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences. March 8th to 12th 2009. Sponsored by the Amir of Kuwait.
2009 – Award for the Cairo International Art Biennale, Dec. 2008.
2009, June – Winner of Best of Worldwide Artists in Mixed Media and Figurative paintings, by Kennedy Publishing , USA.
2009 – Award from UNESCO, cultural week, Kuwait.
2009, Nov. - Commendation from the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition in Fiction Category for “The Crescent Charm”, a short story.
2008, Feb. - Awarded the Amir Abdulreda Creative Prize for paintings exhibited in February 2008 by the Kuwait Arts Association, Hawalli, Kuwait.
2007 - First Kuwaiti to be nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in December 2007 for “Framboise Fig and Bronze Nude”, poem published in the Summer 2007 issue of DMQ Review.
2007 - Third place award for “The Other Wife” from Perigee: Publication for the Arts poetry competition.
2007 - Honorable mention for “Mud-Roses” in the Perigee: Publication for the Arts 2007 poetry contest.
2006 - Award for Poetry Reading at the American University of Kuwait.
2005 - Award for paintings exhibited at the 44th National Day and 14th Liberation Day Exhibition from the Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait.
2004 - Award for the First Kuwaiti Al-Khorafi Biennale in December 2004 from the Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait.
1997, 1998 - Judge of the National Art Competition prepared by the Meridien Hotel in Kuwait.
1998 - PADI Advanced Scuba Diving certification and license from Dive Caroline, Kuwait.
1993 - License and certificate in NAUI Scuba Diving from Al-Boom Diving School, Kuwait.
1987, 1986, 1985 - Three awards for Drama and Theatre, and Certificates of Appreciation, Kuwait University.
1984 - Awarded first prize for her painting in a national art competition in Kuwait.
1980-1981 - Certificate of Merit for artwork presented at NES.
1979 - First prize in Ballet Performance from the London School of Contemporary Dance, Kuwait. Awarded several Certificates of Appreciation.
Memberships, Participations and Representations:
Represented exclusively by Ayyam Gallery (locations: Dubai, London, Beirut, Jeddah, Damascus) from 2012.
Member in Kuwait Arts Association.
Represented by CAN – Contemporary Art Network – in New York, USA, in 2009.
Represented by Anais Laurent, curator and gallery owner of Galerie Quint-Essences, Switzerland.
Represented by Lahd Gallery, London (UK and Saudi Arabia).
Member of the Consultation Research and Studies committee at the Amiri Diwan, Bayan Palace, in March 2008.
Member of the Grand Jury of the World E-Summit Award, by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences – March 8th to 12th 2009, sponsored by the Amir of Kuwait.
Member of the Panel at the UNESCO cultural week in Kuwait, March 23rd 2009, representing the Kuwait Arts Association.
Member of BPW, Business and Professional Women International, Kuwait Chapter, 2009.
Delegate at the Gulf Arts and Cultural Leaders Conference, Kuwait delegate, November 2009.
Member in International Association of Art and World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific.
Member of The Poetry Society, UK.
Member of The Poetry Society of America (USA).
Member of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP, USA)
Member of the Writer’s / Scholar’s Association, Kuwait.
Member of the Certified Interior Decorators International (CID, USA).
Member of the Kuwait Association of British Alumni (KABA).
Member of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiya, Kuwait.
Member of the Kuwait University Language Centre Accreditation Committee.
Member of the Faculty Association, Kuwait University, as well as a member of various committees at Kuwait University.
Member of TESOL Arabia and TESOL Kuwait.
Member of NAUI and PADI scuba diving schools.
Member of KUBBY – Kuwait Board on Books for Young People, 2000-2001.
Member of the London School of Contemporary Dance from 1974 to 1984.
Delegate at the Gulf Cultural Art & leaders Conference, Doha, Qatar, 23-23 November 2011.
Speaker and member of panel at the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar, Doha, 26-29 March 2012 for the launch of the poetry anthology Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf poetry.
Exhibitions:
1977 - Participated in first group art exhibition at the Ahmed Al-Adwani exhibition hall in Dahiat Abdullah Al-Salem, Kuwait.
1994 - Solo exhibition at Ghadir Gallery in Salhiya, Kuwait.
1997 – Solo art exhibition, entitled Faces, at Boushahri Gallery in Salmiya, Kuwait.
1997 – November: Solo art exhibition at the Meridien Hotel in Kuwait City.
1999 - Solo art exhibition at The Art Shop gallery in Salhiya, Kuwait.
2002 – October: Solo art exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Association, entitled Wind and Water, featuring forty large oil on canvas paintings based on the Chinese concept of Feng Shui.
2004 –December: Exhibited at the First Kuwaiti Al-Khorafi Biennale, Kuwait.
2005 -February: Exhibited at the 44th National Day and 14th Liberation Day Exhibitionat the Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait. Awarded the prize.
2007 – April: Exhibited at the opening ceremony of The Diplomatic Club in Bidaá, Kuwait.
2007 – December: Exhibited at the Kuwait Contemporary Art Exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Association.
2008 –January: Exhibited with other local artists in the General Contemporary Art Exhibition/Khalifa Al-Qattan Creative Award at the Kuwait Arts Association, Hawalli, Kuwait.
2008 – February: Exhibited at the Kuwaiti Women’s Exhibition. Awarded the Amir Abdulreda Creative Prize by the Kuwait Arts Association.
2008 – February 17 – 19: Exhibited five paintings at Dar Al-Funoon Gallery, Kuwait, for a charity fund raiser event “23 x 30” for Bayt Abdullah children’s hospice.
2008 – March 23rd to 31st: Sixth solo art exhibition entitled The Gift, comprising 30 large oil on canvas paintings, Kuwait.
2008, Nov. – Group exhibition with other Kuwaiti artists at the Avenues Mall, Kuwait.
2008, Dec. – Exhibited in the Kuwait Biennale (Al-Khorafi Biennale).
2008, December – Invited to represent Kuwait and participate in the 11th International Cairo Art Biennale in Egypt with two paintings.
2009, February – Exhibited in the Kuwait Creative Art Festival and Exhibition, at the Kuwait Arts Association.
2009, February – Exhibited and donated 2 poems for a charity event at the Q8 for Life show at The Exhibition, Kuwait, opposite Seif Palace.
2009, March 8th to 14th – Exhibited with of 4 Arab Artists (exhibition entitled “Apples”) curated by Fatina Al-Sayed of Fine Arts at Marina Hotel, Kuwait, in celebration of Women’s Day. The 24 paintings were a new collection of paintings for Shurooq synthesizing painting, photography, and poetry.
2009, May 1st – Group Exhibition curated by Fatina Al-Sayed at the Movenpick Hotel, Bidaá, Kuwait, for the Design for Youth charity fundraiser.
2009, May 4th – Exhibited two paintings at the Spring Exhibition for the National Council of Arts, Culture, and Letters, Ahmed Al-Adwani Art Gallery, Kuwait.
2009, Aug 1st, Summer Tour – Mirca Art Tour Group for Human Rights exhibition, Sweden.
2009, Nov. - Group exhibition at Ghadir Gallery, Kuwait: The Affordable Art Show, curated by Thuraya Al-Baqsami.
2010 Jan. 7th – Group exhibition at the CAN (Contemporary Art Network), Chelsea, New York.
2010 February – Group exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Association.
2010 February – Three artists exhibition at the new Bu Gallery, Hawalli, Kuwait.
2010 March – Group exhibition at Al-Sayed Art Gallery in Damascus, Syria.
2010 March 11th – Exhibited at Dasman Research Treatment of Diabetes Center for World Kidney Day, hosted by the Kuwait Nephrology Association.
2010 March/April – Volunteered paintings to help in the Haiti crisis.
2010 Feb – Group exhibition at Kuwait Arts Association.
2010 - October: National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters group show, Kuwait.
2010 - October 20: Dar Al-Funoon group exhibition for Bayt Abdullah charity, Kuwait.
2010 - October 21: "Re-Veiled - Vernissage". Group show at Lahd Gallery in London.
2010 - November 1st: Society Girlz solo show at Tilal Gallery, Kuwait.
2011 - January: Group show at Boushahri Gallery for Kuwait Women Artists.
2011- February 8/9: JAMM Art Auction, co-founded by Lulu Al-Sabah, held at the Avenues, auctioneered by Aileen Agopian.
2011 March 3 - April 13 - Solo show: London premiere SHOT: The Untold Truth of Society Girls. Exhibited the new series The Bullet Series.
2011 March 6th - "Woman": Group show at Tilal gallery, Kuwait, curated by Fatina Al-Sayed, for the occasion of women's week.
2011 July 13 to 16th - Exhibited with FA Gallery at the MENASART Fair Beirut, Lebanon, with "The Kiss" from the series It's a Man's World.
2011 September 28th - October 15th: "Another Kind of Love" from the Society Girls series, courtesy of its collector, exhibited at the Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait.
2011 October - Beyond Movements at FA Gallery. A collaboration between art, fashion, & photography with fashion designer Abdullah Al-Saab and photographer Bader Al-Bassam.
2011 November 18th: "I Love You", a painting from the Synthesis series, auctioned at the KsPath Auction and Ball for charity, in association with JAMM, Kuwait.
2011 November 24 -27: Exhibited at the Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair with FA Gallery, representing Kuwait.
2012 March 5th: It's a Man's World solo exhibition at AL M Gallery. Was supposed to be a 3 week exhibition (until April 1st) but was censored and shut down by the authorities after 3 hours.
2012 April 18th: Hala Feb Baby from the Society Girls series sold at the Christie's auction for the United Nations World Food Program held in Dubai.
2012 May 15th: Shurooq's painting My Harem in Heaven (part of the censored It's a Man's World series http://www.ayyamgallery.com) was sold (above estimate) at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai.
2012 September 21st: In collaboration with other fellow artists, Shurooq Amin & Amira Behbehani - as The Art Salon - established Peace One Day Global Truce Art Exhibition, Kuwait, at Contemporary Art Platform in Shuwaikh, Kuwait, in support of the international peace foundation Peace One Day.
2012 October 22: - The Big Bling (part of the censored It's a Man's World series) sold at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai. Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000. Sold for $12,800.
- Print of I Like Him, I Like Her (from It's a Man's World) also auctioned. Edition 1/25. Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sold for $2,800.
2013 March 18th - April 14th: Solo exhibition of the Popcornographic series exhibited exclusively at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai, Al-Quoz,
2013 April 18th: Blind New World, from Popcornographic, auctioned at Christie's Dubai.
Commissions and Acquisitions:
8 murals (wall paintings) for the Bayan Palace, Presidential Residential villas, 2008.
3 paintings for the Bayan Palace, Presidential Residential villas, 2008.
Derwaza VIP Lounge at Kuwait Airport.
OPEC commission for paintings for the new OPEC Vienna Headquarters on occasion of their 50th anniversary.
Paintings acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, Kuwait, 2008.
Six paintings acquired by the National Council of Culture, Arts, and Literature, Kuwait, 2002 - 2009.
Painting acquired by the Shiseido Company in Paris, 1997.
Various private and governmental acquisitions locally and internationally.
Various private and governmental commissions locally.
Private Collections.
Auctions.
Poetry Readings/Performances:
Poetry readings and lectures at the Kuwait English School, and others.
Several poetry readings at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, 1995-1999.
Poetry reading at the American University of Kuwait, 2006.
Poetry reading at Dar Al-Funoon art gallery, May 2009.
Presentation at Pecha Kucha night #2 Kuwait, at the Al-Qiblia Cultural Center, Kuwait City, 24 June 2009.
Speaker at American University of Kuwait, Starbucks, at the invitation of Diwan Book Club, May 17, 2011.
Speaker at Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi's electoral venue, Kuwait, January 25th 2012.
Poetry reading, speaker and member of panel at the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar, Doha, 26-29 March 2012 for the launch of the poetry anthology Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf poetry.
Speaker at the Kuwait Writing Club, April 2013, GUST University, Kuwait.
Publications:
Poems and short stories published in several literary journals, including:
2005 - Etchings with Ilura Press, Australia. Vol. 1, issue 1.
2005 - Many Colored Brooms, an online creative writing journal; issue #1.
2006 - Many Colored Brooms, an online creative writing journal; issues # 2.
2006 - Beauty/Truth: A Journal of Ekphrastic Poetry. Vol. 1, issue 1.
2007 - Ekphrasis: A Poetry Journal. Vol. 4, no. 3.
2007 - The Rose & Thorn Literary E-Zine. Fall 2007 issue.
2007 - Words-Myth: A Quarterly Poetry Journal. April 2007 issue.
2007 – The Cannon’s Mouth. Issue no. 23.
2007 – The Journal. Issue no. 19.
2007 – DMQ Review. Spring/Summer 2007 issue.
2007 – Miranda Literary Magazine. Spring 2007 issue.
2007 – Poesia with Indian Bay Press. Summer 2007 issue.
2007 – Aesthetica Magazine. Aug./Sept. 2007, issue no. 18.
2007 – Blood Lotus. Sept. 2007, issue no. 6.
2007 – Living Poets, with Dragonheart Press. Fall 2007; issue ii.iii.
2007 – Spoon River Poetry Review. Fall 2007 issue.
2007 – Perigee: Publication for the Arts, April issue.
2008 – Pearl Magazine. Issue no. 39.
2008 – Tanjah Aladabia. January 2008; issue #1.
2008 – 32Poems magazine. Winter 2008 issue.
2009 – Monkey Puzzle magazine. Issue #7.
2009 – Rio Grande Review, with Univ. of Texas press. Vol. 33, Spring issue.
2012 - Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf Poetry with the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar, Doha.
Paintings published in online galleries and magazines, including:
2007 - Miranda Literary Magazine.
2007-2011 – Saatchi Gallery, London.
2007-2011 – Absolute Arts Gallery.
2007-2011 – World Wide Arts.
2007-2011 – Q8 Art, Kuwait.
2008 – Artmesh Gallery.
2008 – The Fuschia Tree Art Gallery, India.
2008 – Artists.de – Germany.
2008 – Art Break.
2009 – My Art Space.
2009 – Art House.
2009-2011 – Galerie Quint-Essences, Switzerland.
2009 – Best of Artists Worldwide, winner of Mixed Media and Figurative art, Kennedy Publishing, USA.
2009 – Mirca Art Group: Planet Art, Planet Earth book.
2009/10 - Contemporary Art Network gallery, New York, USA.
2010/11 – Saatchi Gallery, London.
2011 - Art Miami.
Books:
1994 and 1997 - Published a poetry book, entitled Kuwaiti Butterfly Unveiled, locally in 1994, with a small distribution of 500 copies; and then internationally in 1997 with Minerva Press: ISBN-10:0754106268 and ISBN-13:978-0754106265.
April 2009 - Published a poetry book, entitled The Hanging of the Wind, with the Finishing Line Press in USA (ISBN: 1-59924-429-2). Can be purchased online from "http://www.finishinglinepress.com" www.finishinglinepress.com and "http://www.amazon.com" www.amazon.com
2010/2011- Poetry anthology: Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf poetry by Ithaca Publishers in association with the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar.
Shurooq Amin is a Kuwaiti/Syrian mixed-media interdisciplinary artist and an Anglophone poet, renowned for raising controversial questions via her raw images and taboo subject matter. She has been listed as one of Kuwait's 45 most inspirational people by Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah in her book The Alchemy of Wisdom, and one of Kuwait's 50 "Stars" by Layalina. Listed as one of the five "hottest" artists from the Middle East today by Your Middle East journal, 2012. On April 17th 2013, Shurooq was awarded the title of Artist of the Year by the Arab Woman Awards, Kuwait chapter. She is represented exclusively by Ayyam Gallery, Dubai.
Her paintings can be found at the Bayan Palace/Amiri Diwan (Kuwait), the Museum of Modern Art (Kuwait), OPEC headquarters (Vienna), the Shiseido company (Paris), private international art groups (Mirca Art Group, Sweden), local private companies, and in private collections in New York, Damascus, Dubai, Cairo, Amsterdam, London, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Her work has been sold at auctions (including Christie's), been commissioned privately and publicly, awarded various prizes locally and internationally, and shown at biennales and art fairs. She has appeared on numerous interviews on local and international television, as well as newspapers, journals, and magazines, such as Reuters, Marie Claire, Arabian Business, Financial Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Gulf News, The Daily News, Al-Arabiya, etc. A retrospective of her work was recently featured in the biannual art journal Contemporary Practices: Visual Arts from the Middle East. Her 2010 series The Society Girls was exhibited at the Tilal Gallery in November 2010, and became an urban cult in private collections. Her series entitled The Bullet Series was shown at London's Lahd Gallery in March 2011 for six weeks. The work was a series of socio-political paintings which culminated with a Hornet bullet being shot through each painting with a rifle at a range of 50 meters by the artist. A documentary accompanied the show, and the original bullet casing accompanied each painting. Her series It's a Man's World was exhibited in Kuwait at Al M Gallery. The controversial nature of the work and its inherent message caused the show to be shut down and the paintings to be censored and banned in Kuwait. The scandal caused a social media uproar and brought the attention and support of the international media and fans to the artist and her message. Her most recent series Popcornographic was exhibited at Ayyam Gallery during Art Dubai, March 2013.
Shurooq's poetry has been published into two books to date, in more than 40 literary journals across the globe, and has been anthologized in the Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf Poetry by Ithaca Publishers in association with the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar. Her second volume of poetry “The Hanging of the Wind” is taught as part of the contemporary literature curriculum in universities in the Gulf. She is the first Kuwaiti to be nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in December 2007 in the USA.
Academic Degrees:
2007 - PhD in Creative Writing from Warnborough College (specializing in Modern Poetry in the subject of Ekphrastic Art and Poetry).
1989 - Master’s Degree from Kent University, England, in Modern Literature (specializing in Modern Poetry).
1988 - BA in English Literature from Kuwait University (minor in French).
1984 - O'Levels from New English School, Kuwait.
2004 - Diploma in Interior Decorating from Thomson Education Direct (specializing in Feng Shui consultation).
Awards, Certificates and Nominations:
2013 April 17th - Awarded title of Artist of the Year by the Arab Woman Awards, Kuwait, ITP.
2013 April 17th - Blind New World from the series Popcornographic auctioned at Christies Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art, Part II. Dubai.
2012 October 22: - The Big Bling (part of the censored It's a Man's World series) sold at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai. Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000. Sold for $12,800.
- Print of I Like Him, I Like Her (from It's a Man's World) also auctioned. Edition 1/25. Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sold for $2,800.
2012 May 15th: Shurooq's painting My Harem in Heaven (part of the censored It's a Man's World series) was sold at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai.
2012 April 18th: Hala Feb Baby from the Society Girls series sold at the Christie's auction for the United Nations World Food Program held in Dubai.
2011 December 2nd: Judge in Red Bull's international art competition Art of Can, held at 360 mall, Kuwait.
2011- February 8/9: "My Louboutins", the last painting from the Society Girls series sold at the JAMM Art Auction, co-founded by Lulu Al-Sabah, held at the Avenues, Kuwait, auctioneered by Aileen Agopian.
2010 – February 16/17: “Society Girls” from the series Society Girls came third top bid at the Inaugural Auction of Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art, held in Kuwait at Al-Corniche Club, by JAMM, co-founded by Lulu Al-Sabah; auctioneers Philips de Pury of New York.
2010 - Held the position of the Kuwait judge for the “Inspirational Woman” competition hosted/sponsored by Ahlan magazine and Philadelphia company, Dubai, which culminated in a Gala Dinner held at Raffles Hotel in Dubai to award the winners.
2009 – Awarded the OPEC Vienna Headquarters commission for two large scale paintings to be permanently exhibited in the OPEC Vienna building, represented by Ms Fatina Al-Sayed, curator of Fine Arts.
2009 – Awarded the Derwaza VIP Lounge at Kuwait Airport contract for one year to provide the Derwaza with customized paintings.
2009 - Award for Grand Jury duty in the World E-Summit Award, by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences. March 8th to 12th 2009. Sponsored by the Amir of Kuwait.
2009 – Award for the Cairo International Art Biennale, Dec. 2008.
2009, June – Winner of Best of Worldwide Artists in Mixed Media and Figurative paintings, by Kennedy Publishing , USA.
2009 – Award from UNESCO, cultural week, Kuwait.
2009, Nov. - Commendation from the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition in Fiction Category for “The Crescent Charm”, a short story.
2008, Feb. - Awarded the Amir Abdulreda Creative Prize for paintings exhibited in February 2008 by the Kuwait Arts Association, Hawalli, Kuwait.
2007 - First Kuwaiti to be nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in December 2007 for “Framboise Fig and Bronze Nude”, poem published in the Summer 2007 issue of DMQ Review.
2007 - Third place award for “The Other Wife” from Perigee: Publication for the Arts poetry competition.
2007 - Honorable mention for “Mud-Roses” in the Perigee: Publication for the Arts 2007 poetry contest.
2006 - Award for Poetry Reading at the American University of Kuwait.
2005 - Award for paintings exhibited at the 44th National Day and 14th Liberation Day Exhibition from the Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait.
2004 - Award for the First Kuwaiti Al-Khorafi Biennale in December 2004 from the Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait.
1997, 1998 - Judge of the National Art Competition prepared by the Meridien Hotel in Kuwait.
1998 - PADI Advanced Scuba Diving certification and license from Dive Caroline, Kuwait.
1993 - License and certificate in NAUI Scuba Diving from Al-Boom Diving School, Kuwait.
1987, 1986, 1985 - Three awards for Drama and Theatre, and Certificates of Appreciation, Kuwait University.
1984 - Awarded first prize for her painting in a national art competition in Kuwait.
1980-1981 - Certificate of Merit for artwork presented at NES.
1979 - First prize in Ballet Performance from the London School of Contemporary Dance, Kuwait. Awarded several Certificates of Appreciation.
Memberships, Participations and Representations:
Represented exclusively by Ayyam Gallery (locations: Dubai, London, Beirut, Jeddah, Damascus) from 2012.
Member in Kuwait Arts Association.
Represented by CAN – Contemporary Art Network – in New York, USA, in 2009.
Represented by Anais Laurent, curator and gallery owner of Galerie Quint-Essences, Switzerland.
Represented by Lahd Gallery, London (UK and Saudi Arabia).
Member of the Consultation Research and Studies committee at the Amiri Diwan, Bayan Palace, in March 2008.
Member of the Grand Jury of the World E-Summit Award, by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences – March 8th to 12th 2009, sponsored by the Amir of Kuwait.
Member of the Panel at the UNESCO cultural week in Kuwait, March 23rd 2009, representing the Kuwait Arts Association.
Member of BPW, Business and Professional Women International, Kuwait Chapter, 2009.
Delegate at the Gulf Arts and Cultural Leaders Conference, Kuwait delegate, November 2009.
Member in International Association of Art and World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific.
Member of The Poetry Society, UK.
Member of The Poetry Society of America (USA).
Member of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP, USA)
Member of the Writer’s / Scholar’s Association, Kuwait.
Member of the Certified Interior Decorators International (CID, USA).
Member of the Kuwait Association of British Alumni (KABA).
Member of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiya, Kuwait.
Member of the Kuwait University Language Centre Accreditation Committee.
Member of the Faculty Association, Kuwait University, as well as a member of various committees at Kuwait University.
Member of TESOL Arabia and TESOL Kuwait.
Member of NAUI and PADI scuba diving schools.
Member of KUBBY – Kuwait Board on Books for Young People, 2000-2001.
Member of the London School of Contemporary Dance from 1974 to 1984.
Delegate at the Gulf Cultural Art & leaders Conference, Doha, Qatar, 23-23 November 2011.
Speaker and member of panel at the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar, Doha, 26-29 March 2012 for the launch of the poetry anthology Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf poetry.
Exhibitions:
1977 - Participated in first group art exhibition at the Ahmed Al-Adwani exhibition hall in Dahiat Abdullah Al-Salem, Kuwait.
1994 - Solo exhibition at Ghadir Gallery in Salhiya, Kuwait.
1997 – Solo art exhibition, entitled Faces, at Boushahri Gallery in Salmiya, Kuwait.
1997 – November: Solo art exhibition at the Meridien Hotel in Kuwait City.
1999 - Solo art exhibition at The Art Shop gallery in Salhiya, Kuwait.
2002 – October: Solo art exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Association, entitled Wind and Water, featuring forty large oil on canvas paintings based on the Chinese concept of Feng Shui.
2004 –December: Exhibited at the First Kuwaiti Al-Khorafi Biennale, Kuwait.
2005 -February: Exhibited at the 44th National Day and 14th Liberation Day Exhibitionat the Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait. Awarded the prize.
2007 – April: Exhibited at the opening ceremony of The Diplomatic Club in Bidaá, Kuwait.
2007 – December: Exhibited at the Kuwait Contemporary Art Exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Association.
2008 –January: Exhibited with other local artists in the General Contemporary Art Exhibition/Khalifa Al-Qattan Creative Award at the Kuwait Arts Association, Hawalli, Kuwait.
2008 – February: Exhibited at the Kuwaiti Women’s Exhibition. Awarded the Amir Abdulreda Creative Prize by the Kuwait Arts Association.
2008 – February 17 – 19: Exhibited five paintings at Dar Al-Funoon Gallery, Kuwait, for a charity fund raiser event “23 x 30” for Bayt Abdullah children’s hospice.
2008 – March 23rd to 31st: Sixth solo art exhibition entitled The Gift, comprising 30 large oil on canvas paintings, Kuwait.
2008, Nov. – Group exhibition with other Kuwaiti artists at the Avenues Mall, Kuwait.
2008, Dec. – Exhibited in the Kuwait Biennale (Al-Khorafi Biennale).
2008, December – Invited to represent Kuwait and participate in the 11th International Cairo Art Biennale in Egypt with two paintings.
2009, February – Exhibited in the Kuwait Creative Art Festival and Exhibition, at the Kuwait Arts Association.
2009, February – Exhibited and donated 2 poems for a charity event at the Q8 for Life show at The Exhibition, Kuwait, opposite Seif Palace.
2009, March 8th to 14th – Exhibited with of 4 Arab Artists (exhibition entitled “Apples”) curated by Fatina Al-Sayed of Fine Arts at Marina Hotel, Kuwait, in celebration of Women’s Day. The 24 paintings were a new collection of paintings for Shurooq synthesizing painting, photography, and poetry.
2009, May 1st – Group Exhibition curated by Fatina Al-Sayed at the Movenpick Hotel, Bidaá, Kuwait, for the Design for Youth charity fundraiser.
2009, May 4th – Exhibited two paintings at the Spring Exhibition for the National Council of Arts, Culture, and Letters, Ahmed Al-Adwani Art Gallery, Kuwait.
2009, Aug 1st, Summer Tour – Mirca Art Tour Group for Human Rights exhibition, Sweden.
2009, Nov. - Group exhibition at Ghadir Gallery, Kuwait: The Affordable Art Show, curated by Thuraya Al-Baqsami.
2010 Jan. 7th – Group exhibition at the CAN (Contemporary Art Network), Chelsea, New York.
2010 February – Group exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Association.
2010 February – Three artists exhibition at the new Bu Gallery, Hawalli, Kuwait.
2010 March – Group exhibition at Al-Sayed Art Gallery in Damascus, Syria.
2010 March 11th – Exhibited at Dasman Research Treatment of Diabetes Center for World Kidney Day, hosted by the Kuwait Nephrology Association.
2010 March/April – Volunteered paintings to help in the Haiti crisis.
2010 Feb – Group exhibition at Kuwait Arts Association.
2010 - October: National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters group show, Kuwait.
2010 - October 20: Dar Al-Funoon group exhibition for Bayt Abdullah charity, Kuwait.
2010 - October 21: "Re-Veiled - Vernissage". Group show at Lahd Gallery in London.
2010 - November 1st: Society Girlz solo show at Tilal Gallery, Kuwait.
2011 - January: Group show at Boushahri Gallery for Kuwait Women Artists.
2011- February 8/9: JAMM Art Auction, co-founded by Lulu Al-Sabah, held at the Avenues, auctioneered by Aileen Agopian.
2011 March 3 - April 13 - Solo show: London premiere SHOT: The Untold Truth of Society Girls. Exhibited the new series The Bullet Series.
2011 March 6th - "Woman": Group show at Tilal gallery, Kuwait, curated by Fatina Al-Sayed, for the occasion of women's week.
2011 July 13 to 16th - Exhibited with FA Gallery at the MENASART Fair Beirut, Lebanon, with "The Kiss" from the series It's a Man's World.
2011 September 28th - October 15th: "Another Kind of Love" from the Society Girls series, courtesy of its collector, exhibited at the Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait.
2011 October - Beyond Movements at FA Gallery. A collaboration between art, fashion, & photography with fashion designer Abdullah Al-Saab and photographer Bader Al-Bassam.
2011 November 18th: "I Love You", a painting from the Synthesis series, auctioned at the KsPath Auction and Ball for charity, in association with JAMM, Kuwait.
2011 November 24 -27: Exhibited at the Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair with FA Gallery, representing Kuwait.
2012 March 5th: It's a Man's World solo exhibition at AL M Gallery. Was supposed to be a 3 week exhibition (until April 1st) but was censored and shut down by the authorities after 3 hours.
2012 April 18th: Hala Feb Baby from the Society Girls series sold at the Christie's auction for the United Nations World Food Program held in Dubai.
2012 May 15th: Shurooq's painting My Harem in Heaven (part of the censored It's a Man's World series http://www.ayyamgallery.com) was sold (above estimate) at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai.
2012 September 21st: In collaboration with other fellow artists, Shurooq Amin & Amira Behbehani - as The Art Salon - established Peace One Day Global Truce Art Exhibition, Kuwait, at Contemporary Art Platform in Shuwaikh, Kuwait, in support of the international peace foundation Peace One Day.
2012 October 22: - The Big Bling (part of the censored It's a Man's World series) sold at Ayyam Gallery's The Young Collector's Auction in Dubai. Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000. Sold for $12,800.
- Print of I Like Him, I Like Her (from It's a Man's World) also auctioned. Edition 1/25. Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sold for $2,800.
2013 March 18th - April 14th: Solo exhibition of the Popcornographic series exhibited exclusively at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai, Al-Quoz,
2013 April 18th: Blind New World, from Popcornographic, auctioned at Christie's Dubai.
Commissions and Acquisitions:
8 murals (wall paintings) for the Bayan Palace, Presidential Residential villas, 2008.
3 paintings for the Bayan Palace, Presidential Residential villas, 2008.
Derwaza VIP Lounge at Kuwait Airport.
OPEC commission for paintings for the new OPEC Vienna Headquarters on occasion of their 50th anniversary.
Paintings acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, Kuwait, 2008.
Six paintings acquired by the National Council of Culture, Arts, and Literature, Kuwait, 2002 - 2009.
Painting acquired by the Shiseido Company in Paris, 1997.
Various private and governmental acquisitions locally and internationally.
Various private and governmental commissions locally.
Private Collections.
Auctions.
Poetry Readings/Performances:
Poetry readings and lectures at the Kuwait English School, and others.
Several poetry readings at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, 1995-1999.
Poetry reading at the American University of Kuwait, 2006.
Poetry reading at Dar Al-Funoon art gallery, May 2009.
Presentation at Pecha Kucha night #2 Kuwait, at the Al-Qiblia Cultural Center, Kuwait City, 24 June 2009.
Speaker at American University of Kuwait, Starbucks, at the invitation of Diwan Book Club, May 17, 2011.
Speaker at Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi's electoral venue, Kuwait, January 25th 2012.
Poetry reading, speaker and member of panel at the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar, Doha, 26-29 March 2012 for the launch of the poetry anthology Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf poetry.
Speaker at the Kuwait Writing Club, April 2013, GUST University, Kuwait.
Publications:
Poems and short stories published in several literary journals, including:
2005 - Etchings with Ilura Press, Australia. Vol. 1, issue 1.
2005 - Many Colored Brooms, an online creative writing journal; issue #1.
2006 - Many Colored Brooms, an online creative writing journal; issues # 2.
2006 - Beauty/Truth: A Journal of Ekphrastic Poetry. Vol. 1, issue 1.
2007 - Ekphrasis: A Poetry Journal. Vol. 4, no. 3.
2007 - The Rose & Thorn Literary E-Zine. Fall 2007 issue.
2007 - Words-Myth: A Quarterly Poetry Journal. April 2007 issue.
2007 – The Cannon’s Mouth. Issue no. 23.
2007 – The Journal. Issue no. 19.
2007 – DMQ Review. Spring/Summer 2007 issue.
2007 – Miranda Literary Magazine. Spring 2007 issue.
2007 – Poesia with Indian Bay Press. Summer 2007 issue.
2007 – Aesthetica Magazine. Aug./Sept. 2007, issue no. 18.
2007 – Blood Lotus. Sept. 2007, issue no. 6.
2007 – Living Poets, with Dragonheart Press. Fall 2007; issue ii.iii.
2007 – Spoon River Poetry Review. Fall 2007 issue.
2007 – Perigee: Publication for the Arts, April issue.
2008 – Pearl Magazine. Issue no. 39.
2008 – Tanjah Aladabia. January 2008; issue #1.
2008 – 32Poems magazine. Winter 2008 issue.
2009 – Monkey Puzzle magazine. Issue #7.
2009 – Rio Grande Review, with Univ. of Texas press. Vol. 33, Spring issue.
2012 - Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf Poetry with the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar, Doha.
Paintings published in online galleries and magazines, including:
2007 - Miranda Literary Magazine.
2007-2011 – Saatchi Gallery, London.
2007-2011 – Absolute Arts Gallery.
2007-2011 – World Wide Arts.
2007-2011 – Q8 Art, Kuwait.
2008 – Artmesh Gallery.
2008 – The Fuschia Tree Art Gallery, India.
2008 – Artists.de – Germany.
2008 – Art Break.
2009 – My Art Space.
2009 – Art House.
2009-2011 – Galerie Quint-Essences, Switzerland.
2009 – Best of Artists Worldwide, winner of Mixed Media and Figurative art, Kennedy Publishing, USA.
2009 – Mirca Art Group: Planet Art, Planet Earth book.
2009/10 - Contemporary Art Network gallery, New York, USA.
2010/11 – Saatchi Gallery, London.
2011 - Art Miami.
Books:
1994 and 1997 - Published a poetry book, entitled Kuwaiti Butterfly Unveiled, locally in 1994, with a small distribution of 500 copies; and then internationally in 1997 with Minerva Press: ISBN-10:0754106268 and ISBN-13:978-0754106265.
April 2009 - Published a poetry book, entitled The Hanging of the Wind, with the Finishing Line Press in USA (ISBN: 1-59924-429-2). Can be purchased online from "http://www.finishinglinepress.com" www.finishinglinepress.com and "http://www.amazon.com" www.amazon.com
2010/2011- Poetry anthology: Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Arabian Gulf poetry by Ithaca Publishers in association with the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar.
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