The Women's Work Issue Women's Work. Pen and Brush. 2019 | Page 20

17
Sama Alshaibi
Strength as a
Constant
by isabella ellaheh hughes
Over the course of a career spanning almost
two decades, Sama Alshaibi has covered many
themes: Palestinian sovereignty and the Diaspora;
war; gender identity within the Arab world; land
rights; the Arab Spring; retracing the journey of
Ibn Battuta; and the future of water and natural
resources. Central to her practice is the artist-
as-activist stance her work communicates via a
recurring female protagonist. From photography
to video, whether addressing serious issues or the
playful, there she is. The unwavering commonality
in all her appearances across Alshaibi’s various
bodies of work is the protagonist’s strength and
self-assuredness in her actions.
Sama Alshaibi
Threads (detail), from the project Carry Over
2018
Gumoil on cotton rag
20.5 x 13.75 inches
Whether questioning gender norms and male,
Arab masculinity in her series vs. Him (2011) or
commenting on climate change and the scarcity
of water in an otherworldly, entrancing video
sequence cinematically shot across the deserts
of North Africa and West Asia in Wasl (2017), the
Sama Alshaibi, Crown, from the project Carry Over, 2018. Gumoil on cotton rag, 20.5 x 13.75 inches.
16
Women’s Work
Carry Over was supported in part by a grant from
The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and the
Arizona Commission on the Arts which receives
support from the State of Arizona and the
National Endowment for the Arts.