Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai

Born in Kuwait, Hamra Abbas (b. 1976) received her BFA and MA in Visual Arts from the💜 National College of Arts, Lahore in 1999 and 2002 respectively, before attending Universitaet der Kuenste in Berlin where she did the Meisterschueler in 2004. 

Abbas' artistic practice draws from a myriad of sources and takes a diversity of forms. Her works originate 🧔from encounters and experiences - an image, icon or gesture - that are manipulated by the artist transforming its scale, function or medium. Her intention is to deconstr𒁃uct the act of seeing by recreating images that form part of a collective memory. Unrestrained by subject matter or media, she takes an investigative approach to produce a diverse and holistic body of work addressing notions of cultural history, sexuality, violence, ornamentation, devotion and faith.  

Abbas has exhibited internationally with recent solo exhibitions including, Every Colour is a Shade of Black, COMO Museum of Art, Lahore (2020); Open Cube, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2019); Gardens in Which Rivers Flow: Plastic Flowers and Everyday Miracles, Art Dubai with Canvas Gallery, Dubai (2019); Colour, Canvas gallery, Karachi (2017); Bodies, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2016); But Can You Show this in Pakistan?, PILOT, Istanbul (2015) and Kaaba Picture as a Misprint, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2014).  

Her work has been exhibited as part of major group shows including, Gateway: Fragments, Yesterday and Today, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Abu Dhabi (2019); Second Karachi Biennale, Bagh Ibn e Qasim, Karachi (2019); She Persists, Palazzo Benzon, Venice (2019); Lahore Biennale, Lahore (2018). Other exhibitions include t🅘hose in San Fr🐭ancisco, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Abbas is the recipient of the Jury prize at Sharjah Biennial 9, the Abraaj Capital Art Prize (2011) and wa♋s shortlisted for the Jameel Prize (2009).

Her works can be found in significant institutional collections including, the British Museum, London; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas, USA; 21 C Museum𒊎, Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, USA; USA Art In Embassies Collection, USA; Burger Collection, Hong Kong; Koç Foundation, Istanbul; Borusan Foundation, Istanbul; Kadist Collection, Paris; Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels; Devi Art Foundation, Guragon, India; Kiran Nader Museum of Art, New Delhi; King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), Saudi Arabia and Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi.

Abbas currently lives and works between Lahore and☂ Boston.