Thuraya Al-Baqsami (born 1951) is a Kuwaitiartist, writer, and printmaker. She is consideredone of the pioneers of contemporary art in the Gulf region. She studied art and literatureat Surikov University in Moscow from 1974 to1981, and has since held over 60 exhibitions around the world.
Her work is known for itsexploration of themes of identity, gender, and the human condition. Al-Baqsami’s work has been influenced by her own experiences as a woman living in theGulf region. In particular the Iraqi invasionof Kuwait in 1990 had a profound impact on her work. Her book “Cellar Candles” (1993), a collection of short stories about the war, was awarded the Kuwaiti State Prize for Literature.Al-Baqsami’s work has been praised forits originality, its poetic sensibility, and its commitment to social justice. She is a true visionary artist who has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary art in the Middle East.
Further awards she has received include,the Franz Kafka Award, Salvidor Dali Award, Tribia Award, Qurain Festival Award, TheKuwait Museum Award and the Kuwaiti Society for Fine Arts Award. Her artworks are included in a number of prestigious collections including the BritishMuseum (UK), Los Angeles County Museumof Art (USA), Sharjah Art Museum (UAE),Barjeel Art Foundation Sharjah (UAE), Mathafthe Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha(Qatar), and the Museum of Modern Art in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
