​​


About
Mathaf Encyclopedia

Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World is a bilingual, peer-reviewed online resource providing free in-depth information on modern and contemporary artists from the Arab world. The Research and Curatorial team at Mathaf have commissioned scholars and independent researchers to author Encyclopedia entries​. ​ Read more​​​

Featured
Video
Recent
Biographies ;
View All

  • Marwan Kassab-Bachi
    Born in 1934 in Damascus, Marwan Kassab-Bachi was a Syrian-German painter, who is mainly known for his treatment of the human face. He left his country of birth in 1957 to study in Berlin and remained in that city until his death in 2016.
    Read more
  • Ahmed Morsi
    Ahmed Morsi is a contemporary Egyptian artist who combines painting and Arabic poetry in order to deal with universal themes of existence and isolation, as well as dreams and the subconscious. Morsi was born in Alexandria.
    Read more
  • Shirin Neshat
    Shirin Neshat was born on 26 March 1957 in the city of Qazvin, Northwest Iran. She currently lives and works in New York, USA. Neshat relies fundamentally on photographic and film media to create her ideas and her artistic projects
    Read more
  • Mohammed Racim
    Born on 24 June 1896 in Algiers, Algeria, Mohammed Racim is considered one of the first Algerian painters. From a family of artisans, Racim first discovered Islamic miniatures while working as a draftsman in the colonial-era Service of Indigenous Arts.
    Read more