Meeting
08 Sep 25
Welcome meeting with resident artist Shaima Shiekh Ali at Moving Artists, Bilbao
Welcome meeting with artist Shaima Shiekh Ali, a resident of the TEJA 2025 Emergency Program.
Palestine
SHAIMA SHEIKH ALI
2025
Espacios:
Moving Artists
Shaima Sheikh Ali, a Palestinian artist with a physical disability, holds a Fine Arts degree (2022). She’s Originally from the destroyed village of Beit Thul in Jerusalem. She had a solo exhibition “Inescapable” with Eitar initiative (2024), participated in “Tamas,” “Intersection”, “Shubbak” Festival, and a digital exhibition with Art Council England.
Shaima draws inspiration from her deep connection to the Palestinian community and the belief that «every Palestinian must tell their story». Her work explores individual and collective experiences, their intersections and divergences. Using sculpture, installation, and video art, aiming to create a unique experience in spaces for the environments.
Related activities
Presentations
29 Oct 25
Presentation of the portfolios of Darina Jabr, Sabreen Haj Ahmad and Shaima Shiekh Ali to the MNCARS team
On October 29th, our artists in residence Darina Jabr, Sabreen Haj Ahmad and Shaima Sheikh Ali presented their portfolios and the projects they are working on to the Reina Sofía Museum team.
Meeting
Presentations
11 Nov 25
Meeting between our artists in residence and the TBA21 team
On Tuesday, November 11th, we met with the TBA21 team, where our three Palestinian artists in residence, Darina Jabr, Sabreen Haj Ahmad, and Shaima Shiek Ali, presented their portfolios and shared their experiences, processes, and projects.
It was a space for dialogue and connection, where themes of memory, territory, identity, and resilience were explored, generating a profound conversation about how art can act as a common language in the face of distance and loss.
Meeting
Talks
27 Nov 25
TEJA’s participation in “art beyond fire”
We participated in “Art Beyond Fire: Encounters on Art and Risk,” organized by Moving Artists in Bilbao. The program brought together artists, researchers, and cultural agents from within and outside Spain to discuss the role of art in contexts of violence.
We took part in the discussion “Does Art Make Sense in Times of Conflict?” alongside Ixone Sádaba, Manuela Otero, and Marie Le Sourd. The day continued with a conversation between our artist-in-residence, Shaima Sheikh Ali, and the Kurdish artist Tara Abdullah, where they shared their experiences creating from vulnerability and resistance.
The event opened a space to reflect on the political power of voice, memory, and creation: how art continues to be a place of dialogue and hope in the face of barbarity.
Workshops
21 Nov 25
Workshop of the artist in residence Shaima Sheikh Ali
Our artist-in-residence, Shaima Sheikh Ali, organized a workshop conceived as a social experiment, inviting participants to share their personal reflections and creative responses to the idea of censorship. Through this workshop, she sought to combine her own perspective with that of the Basque public, generating a dialogue that transcends cultural and social contexts.
The participants’ reflections and artistic contributions will form part of Shaima’s final installation in Bilbao, integrating with her own works and vision to create a collective proposal enriched by diverse perspectives.
