Shefa Salem

Salem was born in Benghazi in 1996.^[1] A graduate of the University of Benghazi, she left there in 2021 with a BA in Architecture.^[1] Her realistic, large-scale paintings and murals reimagine the history of Libya through its heritage and archaeology.^[1][2][3][4] Her first solo exhibition was entitled I Am Libya; it took place in 2021 at the Barah Arts and Culture Centre in Benghazi, where she is based.^[2][5] Significant works include Kaska, Dance of War which depicts Libyan soldiers performing a kaska dance of the indigenous Timihu people, first recorded 5000 years ago in Deir El-Bahari.^[1][6] Another work Libyan Flute is inspired by an ancient flute which was excavated by archaeologists in Libya.^[1] Salem found her inspiration for this by reading the journal Libyan Studies.^[2] Another work, Funeral Ritual in the Acacus, is inspired by cave art from the Acacus Mountains dating to 4000 BC that featured a boat containing a group of people, one of whom was upside down and believed to be dead.^[2]

In 2021 she was listed as one of Middle East Eye's 'Five Emerging Artists to Watch.'^[6] Her work has been compared to that of Tewa Barnosa, Afra Alashhab and Malak Elghuel by art patron Najlaa Elageli.^[5] In 2023 she was awarded a grant by Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy) to produce a new series of work entitled Ethnolibya.^[7] The resulting exhibition was shown in December 2024 at Bernice University of Architecture and Urbanism in Benghazi,^[8] and in January 2025 at Iskandar House for Arts in Tripoli.^[9] Works in the exhibition are inspired by the writing of Muhammad Al-Tarhouni and the poetry of Hamza Al-Falah.^[10][11]