Résumé

Updated 10.04.2025

Aya Tarek

Multidisciplinary Artist

www.ayatarek.com
+20-100-0497668
contact@ayatarek.com

About

Laureate of the 20th Unesco-Sharjah Award for Arab Culture in 2024. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1989, Aya Tarek is a painter, and a multidisciplinary artist with an exciting portfolio of diverse art projects, feature films, and art collaborations that draw international acclaim in major cities from Sao Paolo to Frankfurt. Experimentation is at the forefront of Tarek's current artistic endeavors. Through innovative mediums such as virtual reality and the discovery of fresh forms of studio painting, Tarek seeks to use her experience as an artist to revisit her roots in classical training and push herself in new, unexplored directions. Tarek work has been showcased around the world. A selection; Mudec Museum, Milan (2025), La Condition Publique, Roubaix (2022), Nowhere Gallery, New York City (2022), Art D’Egypt, Cairo (2021), B’sarya for Arts, Alexandria (2020), Shelter Art Space, Alexandria (2020), HCC Dale Mabry Campus, Florida (2019), Antigel Festival, Geneva (2018), Gypsum Gallery, Cairo (2017), Afreaka Festival, Sao Paulo (2016), USF Contemporary Art Museum, Florida (2015), Theatre RMPH, Stuttgart (2014), Cityleaks, Cologne (2013), Beirut Art Centre, Beirut (2012), Ankh Project, ITP Berlin (2011), Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah (2011).

Education

B.A, University of Alexandria Faculty of Fine Arts Department of Painting
Alexandria University | 2007-2013

Awards

The UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture | 2024

Selected Exhibitions

Dal Muralismo Alla Street Art Invasion | Mudec Museum, Milan/2025
Mural

RSH Festival | Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University (old Building), Ryadh/2023
Mural

Waking The Giants | Townhouse Factory Cairo, Egypt/2022
COP27 Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt/2022
Audio/Visual Exhibition and Performance in collaboration with Simon Petermann

Urbain.es | La Condition Publique Roubaix, France/2022
Audio/Visual Exhibition and Preformance

TOKEN | Kodak Passageway Cairo, Egypt/2021
Solo Exhibition

Oracle of Lies | B’sarya Art Space Alexandria, Egypt/2021
Residency/Exhibition

The Fear of Missing Out | Shelter Art Space Alexandria, Egypt/2020
Solo Exhibition

Painting Ourselves Visible | HCC Dale Mabry Campus Florida, USA/2019
Mural

Aya Tarek’s Sprezzatura | SOMA Art Gallery Cairo, Egypt/2018
Solo Exhibition

Omar El Sherif | Antigel Festival Geneva, Switzerland/2018
Mural

Aya in America P.1 | Independent Project the West Coast USA/2017
Street Art Tour/Documentary 

Objects in the Mirror are Closer than they Appear | Soma Art Gallery Cairo, Egypt/ 2017
Solo exhibition

Urban Art Biennale | Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte Voelklinger, Germany/2015 
Smoke Face (Painting), Urban Art Biennale 2015 curated by Meinrad Maria Grewenig. 

World Permiere of the New Mural of Aya Tarek | USF Contemporary Art Museum Florida, USA/2015
Invisible Man in a Fluorescent Suit (Mural), World Premiere curated by Noel Smith.

Djerbahood | Galerie Itinerrance Djerba, Tunisia/2014 
Untitled (Mural), Djerbahood Festival curated by Mehdi Ben Cheikh. 

Der Vagabundenkongress | RAMP Theatre Stuttgart, Germany/2014 
Propaganda Print Shop (Campaign), Vagabonds Congress curated by Gregoria Gog. 

I’m Still Here- Being Public Indoors | CityLeaks Festival Center Cologne, Germany/2013 
Country Music/Sheik Ali (Painting), I’m Still Here curated by Sally Rellum.

CityLeaks Urban Art Festival | Artmx Cologne, Germany/2013 
Tropical Androgyny (Mural), CityLeaks 2013 curated by George Barringhaus. 

Money Makes Visible | Vienna, Austria/2013 
Untitled Poster (Public Intervention), Money Makes Visible curated by Josef Danner.

Projects/Exhibitions

Viorama (Fortune Bank) | Medrar For Contemporary Arts Cairo, Egypt/2022
Virtual reality group Exhibition

Women Of The World | Nowhere Gallery New York City, USA/2022
NFT Group Exhibition (NFT NYC)

White Wall | Beirut Art Center Beirut/Lebanon/2012 
Melting Human Portrait (Mural), White Wall curated by Charles Vallaud & Don Karl.

Arabic Graffiti and Egyptian Street Art | Frankfurt, Germany/2012
Smoke Face (Mural), Arabic Graffiti curated by Don Karl

ITP Berlin | Egyptian Ministry of Tourism Berlin, Germany/2012
Untitled (Sculpture), ANKH Project public intervention

Graffiti: Style, History, Experience | Goethe Institute Alexandria, Egypt/2011
Skater and Sea Snake (Mural), Graffiti: Style, History, Experience curated by Fatma Hendawi

Paroles de Revolution(s) | French Cultural Center Alexandria, Egypt/2011
Curator and speaker

Video by the Kilo | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt//2011
Can't Live With/Can't Live Without (Video), Video By The Kilo curated by Sherif Al Azma

Bytes and Pieces | Sharjah Art Foundation Sharjah, United Arab Emirates/2011
Shock Hazard (Interactive installation), Bytes and Pieces curated by Tarek Atoui

Shopping Malls | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2011
The Truth About Superman (Mural), Shopping Malls curated by Mohamed Nabil

Microphone | Movie Alexandria, Egypt/2010-2011
Actress/Muralist, Microphone directed by Ahmed Abdallah

Streets of Cairo | The Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) Cairo, Egypt/2010
Concept Design/Illustration

Pick4 | Townhouse Gallery Cairo, Egypt/2009
Hassan (Painting), PICK4 curated by Mohamed Allam

Street Art Collective/ Manifesto | Private Studio Alexandria, Egypt/2008

Residencies

Residency and Exhibition Rebooting Digital Arts Residency Alexandria, Egypt/2021

Residency Cite International des Arts Paris, France/2019

Residency and Mural Project Al Riwaq Art Space Manama, Bahrain/2010

Selected Publications

1. COLLECTIF. Urbain.Es: A La Condition Publique, Roubaix. French edition. BEAUX ARTS ED, 2022. [Link].

2. Atallah, Nadine, Macdonald, Duncan, and Segone. In Conversation: A Painting Show. MASR Research in Modern & Contemporary Art, 2019, exhibition catalog. [Link].

3. Ben Cheikh, Mehdi. Djerbahood. Albin Michel Editions, 2015, books. [Link].

4. Grewing, Meinrad Maria. Urban Art! Biennale 2015. Wunderhorn, 2015, catalog. [Link].

5. Hamdy, Basma, and Stone. Walls of Freedom. From here to Fame publishing, 2014, books. [Link].

6. Gröndahl, Mia, and Tristan Manco. Revolution Graffiti. AUC press, 2013, books. [Link].

Selected Lectures/Talks

2022: “WEB 3, NFTs & The New Creative Economy” Creative Industury Summit, Cairo, Egypt.

2022: “Waking the Giants Overview” COP27, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

2015: “Artist Talk” University of South Florida, Tampa, USA. 

2013: “Artist Talk” CityLeaks Festival Center conducted by Timothy Shearer, Cologne, Germany. 

2014: “The Graphic Uprising Between Paris 1968 and Cairo 2011” French Cultural Center Alexandria, Egypt.

2013: “Artist Talk” Swedish Cultural Institute Alexandria, Egypt.

Workshops

Video by the Kilo | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2011
Directed by Sherif Al Azma 

Bytes and Pieces | Sharjah Art Foundation Sharjah, UAE/2011
Conducted by Tarek Atoui 

Talking Animation | Goethe Institute Alexandria, Egypt/2010
Conducted by Jan Koester, Marian Mantrup and Michal Krajczok

Undo/Redo | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2010
Conducted by Tarek Atoui

Vlad Nanca Lives and Works in Bucharest | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2008
Conducted by Vlad Nanca 

Shelter/ Visibility/ Loves | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2008
Directed by Shaina Anand & Ashuk Sukumaran

Recyclizer | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2008 
Directed by Jan Van Neunen 

We are the Poster Machine | Alexandria Contemporary Art Forum Alexandria, Egypt/2008
Directed by Jonathan Puckey