Shifa Salem: A Libyan artist inspired by her country’s history
When the identity has clear features, it creates a true homeland that turns into a safe haven for its children without discrimination. The roots of man breathe in the lungs of the earth, and his belonging will only come through the hardship of searching for an entity that explains the steps of his existence. Perhaps the predicament that our country is going through and its complex interactions made the promising artistic work, Shifa Salem, take refuge in the saturated memory of yesterday. In forgetfulness, she heard a scream that emanated from the depths of the Tassili caves and the valleys of the Akakus Mountains in the far south of the Libyan Sahara, where hunters and shepherds carried her. There is a message from history to the future, so she adopts, in the context of her creative project, a vision through which she tries to clear the rubble of dust and harden the arteries of time so that the distance to light becomes just around the corner. or lower,
Shifa Salem is an artist who creates from the comedy of colors an ability that allows history to grow on the geography of her paintings. History, as much as it needs to interrogate the truth of what happened, we also need to understand what is happening today in order for the course of the day to be straight. Shifa Salem was born in the city of Benghazi in 1996 AD, a student in the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture, at the University of Benghazi. She held her first art exhibition in its first edition entitled (I Am Libya) in Benghazi in October 2021 AD and held its second edition in Tripoli in December of the same year, in addition to her participation in a group exhibition entitled (Color Instrument) last March.
Desert Chariot - Getulites
Shifa Salem is a young Libyan artist whose work is inspired by the history of Libya. We discovered her on Facebook and her work really impressed us. Therefore, we wanted to introduce his talent by writing an article about him here.
Night of the Nine Arches
Shifa Salem Al-Barassi was born in 1996 in Benghazi, Libya. I studied architecture and urban planning. She began her artistic career at a very young age: she has been performing on the Libyan art scene since 2018. Her artistic vision is to reconsider Libya’s historical and cultural heritage, inspired by her nation’s history and monuments, its place in mythology, as well as the spirit of rock art in the Libyan desert. In his work, the written pages of history books come to life. Its goal: In a nation divided by civil war, to preserve Libyan identity and collective memory.
The Libyan-Greek conflict
The talented young artist had the opportunity to exhibit her work in Benghazi, Tripoli and Tunisia, especially within the framework of the “Art as Identity” exhibition. She explains that she chose a realistic approach in order to remain close to the people: she addresses ordinary Libyans, not artistic or academic elites. Through her art, she hopes to bring these people together by rediscovering their shared history as Libyans, which is essential, in her opinion, to move forward together.
Goddess of silphium
Her works were exhibited for the first time in Benghazi, after a project she launched entitled “Tanarout Artspace.” She also held a group show in Tunisia with artists from all over the world, with “Iskander House of Arts,” organized by the Ministry of Culture under the title “Carthage Days of Contemporary Art.” In addition to participating in the “Teen” exhibition of sculptural works held with the “Iskander House of Arts”, hosted at Barah for Culture and Arts in the city of Benghazi.
Libyan flute
In conclusion, here are some pictures of his works, which we share with the artist’s permission.
More brilliance and success, creative artist, and I tell you that I realized that you have a lot, which I hope will take you to global success. I see his fingers pointing to your paintings, saying: “This is an artist from Libya.” A country where people like you are creative will return safe, creative, and peaceful. One united as it was and as it should be. In conclusion, it must be noted that the naming of the paintings comes from the vision of the author of the subject and not from the artist.
Source: websites