Safeya M.R. Sharif (b. 1999, Dubai) is an Emirati artist whose practice explores abstraction, spatial representation, and questions of authenticity within hyperreality. Safeya’s work bridges the gap between reality and imagination, inviting audiences into spaces where familiarity and abstraction collide. She disrupts traditional painting through unconventional materials, such as linoleum cutouts and canvas stretchers, expanding her practice into sculptural forms. Her visual language often incorporates doors and hallways, symbolizing safety and territory, yet rendered powerless when removed from their functional contexts. Working across mediums like printmaking, painting, and installation, her art reflects themes of depth, void spaces, and subjective interpretation. Influenced by the Supports/Surfaces movement, Safeya’s pieces frequently take on a self-referential quality, delving into memory and internal signifiers.
Safeya’s work explores the intersection of familiarity within abstraction and the intuitive process, delving into the complexities of mindless abstraction. Through art created without explicit intention, recognizable elements undergo transformation, challenging conventional boundaries. Inspired by Baudrillard’s Simulacra, her practice blurs the line between reality and imagination, constructing a unique realm where the real and the represented converge, forming a distinct reality apart from its origin. This convergence of familiarity and abstraction adds layers of meaning, prompting viewers to question authenticity and explore subjective interpretations in a visually saturated world.
Her work has been exhibited both in the UAE and internationally, including Pressure Points at Project Space, NYUAD (2024); Sikka Arts and Design Al Shindagha Editions, Dubai (2024); Time and Identity at Al Safa Arts and Design Library, Dubai (2023); Press Print! at Aisha Alabbar Gallery, Dubai (2023); Chill: Summer in the City at Aisha Alabbar Gallery (2022); Psychedelic Surrealism at Quoz Art Festival (2022); and Looking Elsewhere at Zayed University Urban Satellite Space, Foundry, Dubai (2021). Additionally, she has participated in The Emerald Print Exchange at Karin Clarke Gallery, Eugene, OR (2021), and 6X6 at Rochester Contemporary Art Center, NY (2021).
Safeya is currently pursuing an MFA at NYU Abu Dhabi and holds a BFA in Visual Art from Zayed University, Dubai.