Sara Shamma

Sara Shamma is a Syrian artist based between Damascus and London, whose painterly works are executed in a figurative mode. She represents Syria at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, thereby becoming the first Syrian artist to present a solo exhibition at the event. Storytelling and narrative are of paramount importance in her work. Shamma has long been preoccupied with the psychology of individual suffering and has produced work on war, modern slavery and human trafficking. Her oeuvre may be divided into series that reflect sustained periods of research.