HAMRA ABBAS | CONSTRUCTION DRAWING 1 (TRIANGLE)

Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai

Born in Kuwait, Hamra Abbas (b. 1976) received her BFA and MA in Visual Arts from the National College of Arts, Lahore in 1999 and 2002 respectively, before attending Universitaet der Kuenste in Berlin where she did the Meisterschueler in 2004. 

Abbas' artistic practice draws from a myriad of sources and takes a diversity of forms. Her works originate from encounters and experiences - an image, icon or gesture - that are manipulated by the artist transforming its scale, function or medium. Her intention is to deconstruct the act of seeing by recreating images that form part of a collective memory. Unrestrained by subject matter or media, she takes an investigative approach to produce a diverse and holistic body of work addressing notions of cultural history, sexuality, violence, ornamentation, devotion and faith.  

Abbas has exhibited internationally with recent solo exhibitions including, Every Colour is a Shade of Black, COMO Museum of Art, Lahore (2020); Open Cube, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2019); Gardens in Which Rivers Flow: Plastic Flowers and Everyday Miracles, Art Dubai with Canvas Gallery, Dubai (2019); Colour, Canvas gallery, Karachi (2017); Bodies, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2016); But Can You Show this in Pakistan?, PILOT, Istanbul (2015) and Kaaba Picture as a Misprint, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai (2014).  

Her work has been exhibited as part of major group shows including, Gateway: Fragments, Yesterday and Today, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Abu Dhabi (2019); Second Karachi Biennale, Bagh Ibn e Qasim, Karachi (2019); She Persists, Palazzo Benzon, Venice (2019); Lahore Biennale, Lahore (2018). Other exhibitions include those in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Abbas is the recipient of the Jury prize at Sharjah Biennial 9, the Abraaj Capital Art Prize (2011) and was shortlisted for the Jameel Prize (2009).

Her works can be found in significant institutional collections including, the British Museum, London; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas, USA; 21 C Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, USA; USA Art In Embassies Collection, USA; Burger Collection, Hong Kong; Koç Foundation, Istanbul; Borusan Foundation, Istanbul; Kadist Collection, Paris; Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels; Devi Art Foundation, Guragon, India; Kiran Nader Museum of Art, New Delhi; King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), Saudi Arabia and Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi.

Abbas currently lives and works between Lahore and Boston.