Farah Al Qasimi

Farah Al Qasimi, primarily working with photography, video, and performance, explores postcolonial structures of power, gender, and taste in the Gulf Arab states.

Biography of Farah Al Qasimi

Al Qasimi studied photography and music at Yale University in 2012, earning her MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2017. Splitting her time between Dubai and New York, she incorporates her practice as a social critique and an observation of the layered aspects of each place. Through her vivid photographs, she delves into the unspoken social norms and values inherent in a place, a moment, or an object.

She has participated in residencies at the Delfina Foundation in London (2017) and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine (2017). In 2018, she received the New York NADA Artadia Prize and the Aaron Siskind Individual Photographer's Fellowship.

Her work has been acquired by prominent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Tate Modern in London. Solo exhibitions of her work have been held at various venues, such as the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis (2021), Wayne State University Undergraduate Library in Detroit (2020), and Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai (2019). Her work has also been featured in group exhibitions at Rencontres d'Arles (2021), Pera Museum in Istanbul (2021), Yokohama Triennial (2020), Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, Aperture Foundation in New York, and the Biennial of Contemporary Arab Photography in Paris.

In spring 2020, the Public Art Fund displayed her photographs at over 100 bus stops across New York City. Her book "Hello Future," published by Capricious in 2021, was shortlisted for the Aperture Foundation Photobook Prize in the same year.

Farah Al Qasimi's Art Style

Al Qasimi's distinctive style is evident in the surrealism of her visual compositions and the delightful interplay between artificial pastel tones and textiles that evoke camouflage patterns. She keenly examines our modern post-internet culture, emphasizing subjects like identity, feminism, consumption, and economic growth.

Al Qasimi's recent works challenge viewers to rethink their understanding of reality, aspiration, individuality, and the reflected image. In series like "Funhouse," she showcases her skill in mise-en-scène, creating photographs rich in detail that evoke a trompe-l'oeil effect, alternating between delight, delirium, and disturbance.

Additionally, she produces works that challenge common notions of figurative photography and portraiture. "Back and Forth Disco" features works that provide a representation of subjects without granting full access to the individuals, highlighting the unique qualities that define individuality and capturing the diverse essence of New York City.