Failaka 2024 [photo credit: Bliss Ashley]

Biography:

Deema Alghunaim (b. Kuwait, 1984) focuses on the relationship between language and land. Through her art and writing practices, she explores concepts of urbanization, migration and rootedness, and imagines the future of contemporary settlements and movements.

Deema holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Kuwait University (2008) and an MFA from The Ruskin School of Art (2024). She is part of Safat Studios community of artists and a founding member of Naktub; an Arabic creative writing programme for children funded by the Promenade Cultural Centre. Deema has been a contributor to the fields of critical conservation, placemaking, local knowledge production and social entrepreneurship through several initiatives including Madeenah, en.v and Loyac.

Education:

2024 Master of Fine Arts (with distinction) from The Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, UK.

2008 Bachelor of Architecture from Kuwait University, Kuwait.

Experience:

2021-Present Co-creator of NAKTUB; an Arabic creative writing program for children, commissioned by The Promenade Cultural Center - Kuwait.

2014-2020 Co-founder and Managing Director at Madeenah - Kuwait.

2012-2015 Researcher and concept developer at Raw Design Studio - Kuwait.

2010-2012 Architect at Master Plan Dept., Kuwait Municipality - Kuwait.

2008-2009 Architect at 'alpha architects' office-Kuwait.

Exhibitions:

2025 The Night of Departure, Bait Sharq - Kuwait City, Kuwait.

2024 BITE. MFA Degree Show, Ruskin School of Art - Oxford University, UK. 

2023 Recollections. Sultan Gallery - Sabhan, Kuwait. 

2022 The Object Salon. Curated by Athoub Al bousaili and Sulaiman Al Amar Safat Studios - Kuwait City, Kuwait

2016 Blueprints. Museum of Modern Art - Kuwait City, Kuwait.

2012

Madad: Monitoring Movement. The Free Atelier - Kuwait City, Kuwait

Kethra, Curated by Zahra Ali Baba, Ricardo Camacho and Deema Alghunaim. Venice Architecture Biennale: Common Ground - Venice, Italy. 

2009 |Tæ'boõq|. Safat Square, Derwazat Al-Abdulrazzaq and Sultan Gallery - Kuwait.

Residencies:

2024 FIKAR Residency - Failaka Island, Kuwait.

2021 AWAKEN Youth Fellowship. en.v - Kuwait.

2018 Gulf Designers Programme. Victoria & Albert Museum - London, UK.

2017 Mawane Winter School. Khalaf House - Manama, Bahrain. 

2016 Mujawarat Qassim Haddad. Khalil Al-Sakakini Cultural Center - Bahrain. 

2015 Travelogue. Faculdade de Belas Artes do Porto - Porto, Portugal.