B. 1990
Nada Baraka's work exists in a state of flux, oscillating between abstraction and surrealism in her paintings and installations. At its core, her process narrates experiences through expressionist and surrealist methods, where visceral forms gain ever-changing contexts to challenge the obvious and extract meaning from absurdity.
Currently, her focus is on the diverse personal archive of her late grandfather, Egypt's former Minister of Irrigation, engaging with site-specific presentations that explore the decontextualisation of archival materials and spaces.
Themes of connecting past and present, reflecting on social environments, and examining private versus public material underlie her work.
Based in Egypt, Baraka holds a BA in Visual Art from the American University in Cairo and an MA from Central Saint Martins, London. She has exhibited widely, with solo shows in Cairo and international group exhibitions. In 2023, she received the Anna Award from Latitudes Online and launched The Valley of Walls, selected for an Apex Art exhibition.
EDUCATION
2007 - 2011, BA Fine Art at The American University of Cairo, Cairo.
2012 to 2014, MA Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, London.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021, Land of Sequels, Gypsum gallery, Cairo.
2019, Cosmic Truths and Tales to be Told, Gypsum gallery, Cairo.
2015, Fractals, Mashrabia gallery, Cairo.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024, Long story short, Gypsum gallery, Cairo.
2024, The Light between, WHAT IF THE WORLD gallery, Capetown.
2023, The Valley of Walls, Ahmed Ali Kamal Residence, Apex art exhibition, Cairo.
2022, Fission, Goethe Institute, Cairo.
2019, Tea Time with my lungs, Soma Art Gallery, Cairo.
2017, Paper Trail, Gypsum gallery, Cairo.
2017, Cairo Art fair, Artsmart, Cairo.
2016, A season in Hell, Gypsum gallery, Cairo.
2016, Les Négligences volontaires, Shanaynay, Paris.
2016, Mohamed Abla’s Painting Exhibition, Greek Campus, Cairo.
2015, Roznama, Contemporary Image collective, Cairo.
2015, Naema’s office is bleeding, Medrar, Cairo.
2014, Mohamed Abla painting competition, Opera House, Cairo.
2014, Opera youth salon 25th, Opera House, Cairo.
2013-2014, Roznama, Medrar, Cairo, Mostra, Lisbon.
2013, Stop it, Postgraduate Degree show, Lethaby, London.
2013, CSM Auction Exhibition, Lethaby, London.
2013, First come first served, Lion x Lamb, London.
2013, Intransit, V22, London.
2012, FA VIP, ARTFAIR, New York.
2012, Parallel Visions, Darb 1718, Cairo.
2012, 470 Parallel, Sharjah, Cairo.
2011, Annual Youth Salon, Opera house, Cairo.
ART FAIRS
2024, Solo booth at Latitudes RMB Art Fair, Johannesburg.
2023, Le lab x Gypsum gallery, The Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
AWARDS
2023, THE ANNA Award, Latitudes online, Johannesburg.
2015, Mohamed Abla’s Painting Award, Cairo.
AUCTIONS
2024, Curatorial Voices: African Landscapes, Past and Present, Strauss and Co.
BIENNALES
2016, Something Else, off biennale at Darb 1718, Cairo.
GRANTS
2023, International Open call exhibition, Apex Art, New York.
RESIDENCIES
2017, Do-it بالعربي "Dwell Workshop with architect Ahmed Zazaa at Townhouse Factory, Cairo, Egypt.