Bio
Wafaa Samir is a photographer and visual artist based in Cairo, Egypt. Her work explores two main tracks; our relationship with our external environment, whether urban, social, environmental, and our relationship with our internal world of emotions and states of mind. She alternates her attention between these outer and inner worlds to explore how each world influences the other and how this influence shapes us.
Wafaa earned her bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo in 2013. She also studied in Behna independent Program for Visual Arts from 2021 to 2022.
Her work has been showcased in many exhibitions In Egypt and internationally. Most notably: Refractions at Katara in Doha 2025, PHotoESPAÑA at Casa Árabe in Madrid 2023, Thresholds at Wekalet Behna in Alexandria 2022, Sight mapping at Arts’ hub gallery in Cairo 2022, Diffusion festival in Wales 2021, The Arab streets at Gulf photo plus in Dubai 2019, Biennale des photographes du monde arabe in Paris 2015, Nord Art International Exhibition in Germany 2015, and Layer of green at CIC in Cairo 2014.
In 2024, Wafaa received the Tasweer photography project Award presented by Qatar Museums. She also won the Photography Award at the 26th edition of the Youth Salon in Cairo.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
• Refractions, Tasweer festival, Doha, 2025
• The city, Cinema Radio, Cairo, 2024
• Le Langage Des Images, OFF des recontress d’Arles, Arles, 2024
• Shifting Sands, Casa Árabe, Cordoba 2023
• 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
• Tasweer project award - Qatar 2024
• Nile salon jury award - Cairo 2017
• Youth Salon photography award - Cairo 2015
EDUCATION
• Behna visual arts Study Program (2021 - 2022)
• Bachelor degree in Architecture, The Faculty of Fine arts, Helwan university (2013)
WORKSHOPS / ART RESIDENCIES
• Anthropology Bel3araby Lab, 2024-2025
• 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