BIO
Born 2000, in Damascus, Syria.
Lives and works in Dubai, UAE.
Yasmine Al Awa is an emerging Syrian artist whose work navigates themes of memory, identity, and cultural inheritance. Raised in the UAE, Al Awa's practice reflects a duality between her deep connection to her Syrian roots and her exposure to the modernism of a rapidly advancing city.
Her recent body of work shifts focus from the human figure to the realm of inanimate objects and interiors, inspired by memories from her early life in Syria and recent visits to her homeland. Drawing on the notion of fragmented memory, Al Awa brings everyday objects, such as chairs, tables, textiles, and architecture, into the forefront of her work, transforming them into reflections of identity and longing. These objects, infused with personal significance, act as vessels of memory, symbolizing her ongoing search for belonging.
Al Awa’s process is deeply influenced by her background as a painting restorer, where she developed an obsession with materials and their chemical properties. This fascination with durability informs her use of oils on linen canvas, a medium that serves as a bridge between her past and present, conveying the enduring nature of cultural memory.
Her work speaks to the fragility of memory and identity, exploring how fleeting moments can become powerful anchors within one’s sense of self. Through this series, Al Awa offers a contemporary perspective on the traditions and aesthetics of Syria, imbuing her work with both personal nostalgia and universal themes of displacement and belonging.
Education
2022 (ongoing) BFA Fine Arts Emphasis on Painting and Drawing, Academy of Art University, San Francisco
2018 - 2019 BSC in Art Conservation and Restoration, Marist University, Florence Campus, Italy
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 'Rooted Echoes', NIKA Project Space, Dubai, UAE
'Wavering Hope', Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, UAE
Foundations Spring Show, Academy of Art University (online and on-site), San Francisco, USA
Publications
'Exposición Virtual - 25 Aniversario Galería Artelibre - Tomo II', Galería Artelibre, Spain, 2024.
Collections
The Samawi Collection
Residencies
2025 'Open Studio', NIKA Project Space, Dubai, UAE
Competitions and Awards
2022 LAP (Luxembourg Art Prize), 2022 edition, The Pinacothèque Museum, Luxembourg
2021 Figurativas en Red, Fundació de les Arts i els Artistes, 11th edition, Barcelona, Spain
Media Mentions