In her richly textured photographs, Farah Al Qasimi considers how identity enters images in terms of gender, nationality, and class. Al Qasimi borrows conventions from diverse sources ranging from documentary photography to Renaissance painting, confronting ideas of national identity related to consumerism and taste. Her images also covertly critique the contemporary gender divide in the Gulf States along with its colonial and religious origins. Al Qasimi has exhibited work at Helena Anrather (New York City), CCS Bard Galleries at the Hessel Museum of Art (New York City), Jameel Arts Centre (Dubai), the San Francisco Arts Commission, and The Third Line (Dubai). Al Qasimi received her MFA from the Yale School of Art. She is a frequent guest lecturer, most recently at the Pratt Institute. Her many residencies include the Burren College of Art (Ireland), Delfina Foundation (London), RISD Emerging Artist Fellowship (Abu Dhabi), the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (Maine), and Yale Art School. She has also won the Aaron Siskind Individual Photographer’s Grant and the New York NADA Artadia Prize.

www.farahalqasimi.com

While the COVID-19 pandemic has constrained our ability to physically host artists in Syracuse, Light Work has responded innovatively to offer continued support in the form of remote residencies. The remote residency experience support artists in developing their artistic practice from their home or designated studio space. In addition to the stipend, artists will benefit from technical, professional, and creative support, as well as the extraordinary freedom to determine their own residency’s shape and timing. Our AIR participants can use their month to pursue their projects: photographing, scanning, printing, editing for book projects, and working closely with our staff for feedback and conversation.