Faisal Samra (b. 1955, Bahrain)

Faisal Samra is one Saudi Arabia's most well known artists. After studying at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris where he dabbled in design, Samra's diverse artistic practice combines media such as painting, sculpture, and installation, revealing his obsession with visual culture and imagery, often incorporating collage of references to historical and contemporary realities. Samra's storied artistic career has included teaching and various artistic residencies, and he has participated in various exhibitions around the world as well as served on the Jury of the Alexandria Biennale in 2005 and 2008. Other group exhibitions include 'Languages of the Desert: Contemporary Arab Art from the Gulf States' at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris in 2006 and at the Kunstmuseum in Bonn in 2005 as well as 'Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East' that was displayed at the British Museum in London in 2006. Solo exhibitions include 'Repeated and Different' at Galerie Epreuve d' Artiste in Beirut in 1999 and 'Nabatiyat' at Darat al Funun in Amman in 1996. Samra's work is also part of several private and museum collections including the British Museum, the Bahrain National Museum, the Kinda Collection in Riyadh, as well as the Khalid Shoman Private Collection.

Faisal Samra currently lives and works between Bahrain and Paris.

Solo Exhibition:

2010
Albareh Art Gallery, Bahrain

2008
XVA Gallery, Dubai
Singapore Biennial, Singapore

2007
K.Shoman Foundation, Amman
XVA Gallery, Dubai
Sultan Gallery, Kuwait

2005
XVA Gallery, Dubai

2004
Green Art Gallery, Dubai

2003
Agial Gallery, Beirut
Fennel Gallery, Beirut

2002
Grass Gallery, Kuwait

2000
Rochan Gallery, Jeddah

1999
Alriwaq Art Gallery, Bahrain
Galerie Epruve d'Artiste, Beirut

1998
Masafa Gallery, Kuwait

1996
Art Centre, Bahrain
Vision Callery, Bahrain
Darat Al Funun, Amman

1995
Masafa Gallery, Kuwait

1991
Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris

1990
Rochan Gallery, London

1989
Galerie E. Dinet, Paris
Signs, Sultan Gallery, Kuwait

1987
Moualaqat, Sultan Gallery, Kuwait

1974
Culture and Arts Association, Riyadh

Group Exhibitions:

2010
Grey Borders, Grey Frontiers, Edge of Arabia Soho House, Berlin

2009
Edge of Arabia, Rabat, Venice

2008
Cairo Biennial, Cairo
Edge of Arabia, London
Mimmo Scognamiglio Gallery, Milan
Grand Palais, Paris
Art Dubai, Dubai

2006
Christies Auction, Dubai
IMA, Paris
The British Museum, London

2005
Kunst Museum, Bonne
Mairie de Neuilly sur Seine, Paris

2004
Museum der Arbeit, Hamburg
Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt
Overgaden Museum, Copenhagen

2003
The Arabian Canvas, Dubai

2002
Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris

2001
Cairo Biennial, Cairo
World Museum, Rotterdam
Egizio's Project Gallery, New York

1999
National Museum of Fine Arts, Amman

1998
French Embassy, Riyadh
Egee Art Gallery, London
Liberty 98, New York

1997
Sixty Arab Artists at Darat Al Funun, Amman
Europe Art, Geneva

1995
Dialogues of Peace' UN Exhibition, Geneva

1992
Poitier Modern Art Museum, Poitier
Hope and Optimism, Magdalene College, Cambridge

1991
Seoul International Festival of Art, Seoul

1990
Racines, Annual Concourse, Suresnes

1987
Arab Graphic Arts, Le Haver

1986
Baghdad International Festival, Baghdad

1985
Rochan Gallery, Jeddah

1983
Salon De Mai-Espace, Paris

1982
UNESCO, Paris

1978
Drawing Masters, St Remy

1977
Award at Concours David Vaill, Paris
Maison des Beaux Arts, Paris

1975 - 1979
Annual Drawing Exhibitions, Beaux Arts, Paris

Projects & Public Collection Acquisitions:

2009
Weng Fine Art, Germany

2008
Private Collection, Abu Dhabi

2007
Galerie Enrico Navarra, Paris
K. Shoman Foundation, Amman

2006
Abdulrahman Al Awaiss Foundation, UAE
Mr Saeb Eigner, London
The British Museum, London

2005
Sh. Paula Al Sabah Private Collection, Kuwait
Anwar Gargash, Dubai

2004
BuchDruckKunst e.V Art Book Museum, Hamburg
Bahrain National Museum, Bahrain
Bahrain Financial Harbor Project, Bahrain
Zayed House, Al Ain
Gargash Enterprises, Dubai

2001
Modern Art Museum, Cairo

2000
Kinda Collection, Riyadh
Almansouria Foundation, Jeddah
Aljafali Art Collection, Jeddah

1996
Sh. Abdallah Al Sabah
National Museum of Fine Arts, Amman
Darat Al Funun, Amman

1994
ARAMCO, Dhahran
National Methanol Co., Jubail

1993
Regency International Hotel, Manama

1992
King Fahad Airport, Dammam

1988
National Museum , Mexico City

1987
Ministry of Finance, Kuwait

1987
Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris

1986
King Khalid Airport, Riyadh

1981
Royal Commission, Jubail