Bio
Wafaa Samir (b.1990) is a Photographer and visual artist who lives and works in Cairo. Her work explores two main tracks; our relationships with urbanism and physical spaces, and a figurative representation of emotions and states of mind. She alternates her attention between these outer and inner worlds, approaching each very differently.
Samir earned her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo in 2013. In parallel she nurtured her interest in photography and showcased in many group exhibitions In Egypt, Germany, Belgium, France, Dubai and Wales, most notably Layer of Green at CIC in Cairo (2014), NordArt in Germany (2015), the 1st Biennale des Photographes du Monde Arabe in Paris (2015), the Arab streets at GPP in Dubai (2019) and diffusion festival in Cardiff (2021). She won the photography award at the 26th Youth Salon in Cairo. Samir was also part of Sowing Seeds art residency in India in 2018.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
• Shifting Sands, PHotoESPAÑA, Casa Árabe, Madrid 2023
• Afrika eye festival, Bristol 2022
• Thresholds, Wekalet Behna, Alexandria 2022
• Sight mapping, Arts’ hub gallery, Cairo 2022
• Diffusion festival, Wales 2021
• More than a number, F foto gallery, Cardiff 2021
• Cairo Art Fair, Tam gallery, Cairo 2020
• The Youth Salon, Palace of arts, Cairo 2019
• The Arab streets, Gulf photo plus, Dubai 2019
• Nile Salon, Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum, Cairo 2017
• Biennale des photographes du monde arabe, Arab world institute, Paris 2015
• The 26th Youth Salon, Palace of arts, Cairo 2015
• Nord art, Büdelsdorf, Germany 2015
• Foto expo, We claim the streets, Belgium 2015
• Depict, Women’s association, Cairo 2015
• Layer of green, CIC, Cairo 2014
• Red line, Bayt AlSenary, Cairo 2014
• The streaming festival 8th edition, Online exhibition 2013
• The Egyptian revolution, The Unesco residence, Paris 2012
• Saturated souls, Darb 1718, Cairo 2010
AWARDS
• Nile salon jury award - Cairo 2017
• Youth Salon photography award - Cairo 2015
• First place in Nahr AlBahr competition - Cairo 2012
• Second place in Sakia photography competition - Cairo 2012
EDUCATION
• Behna visual arts Study Program (2021 - 2022)
• Bachelor degree in Architecture, The Faculty of Fine arts, Helwan university (2013)
SELECTED WORKSHOPS / ART RESIDENCIES
• What is absent is at work, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, 2022
• Magics of text as space, Noor Abuarafeh and Mohamed abdelkarim, 2021
• Food Ethnography Workshop, Mai Amer, CIC, Cairo 2019
• Sowing seeds art residency, India 2018
• North South (culture diversity support program), Bibliotheca Alexandria 2015
• Art handling workshop, Saad Samir & Lucy Till Awny, Townhouse, Cairo 2014
• Layer of green, Rana ElNemr & Jens Liebchen, CIC, Cairo 2014
• Week of light, Jorge Heieck, Cairo 2013
• The wrong image, Osama Dawod, CIC, Cairo 2012
• The firefly tunnel, Tavia Lafollette, Cairo 2010