Sara Shamma (b. 1975, Damascus, Syria) is an internationally established contemporary painter whose work is held in major public and private collections worldwide. She lives and works between Damascus and London and is widely recognized for her powerful figurative practice, which explores the human condition through themes of identity, mortality, displacement, and psychological intensity.

Shamma graduated from the Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus University, in 1998, ranking first among her graduating class. She began her career in Syria, where she also taught at the Adham Ismail Fine Arts Institute, before developing an extensive international practice spanning more than two decades. Her work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions across Europe and the Middle East, including Echoes of 12 Years at the National Museum of Damascus (2024–2025), Bold Spirits at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London (2023–2024), Interference Green at Mark Hachem Gallery, Beirut (2025), and the critically acclaimed Modern Slavery series exhibited in major UK institutions and cathedrals between 2019 and 2021.

In 2026, Sara Shamma represents Syria at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, marking a significant moment in the country’s renewed cultural presence on the global stage. The project is curated by Yuko Hasegawa.

Shamma’s paintings have been exhibited at leading international venues and events, including the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (London), Florence Biennale, Nord Art (Germany), and major presentations with Christie’s, Bonhams, and Sotheby’s. Her work has appeared in significant group exhibitions across London, Paris, Beirut, Dubai, Vienna, Singapore, and Washington D.C., reinforcing her presence within both institutional and private collecting spheres.

Her practice is deeply informed by long-term research and humanitarian engagement. In 2010, Shamma was appointed Celebrity Partner of the United Nations World Food Programme, producing the landmark painting Fighting Hunger, later exhibited at the National Museum of Damascus and sold at Christie’s to support global relief efforts. In 2019, she was Artist in Residence at King’s College London, collaborating with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and the Helen Bamber Foundation. She also served as a member of the University of Cambridge Museums’ Legacies of Empire & Enslavement Advisory Group (2020–2023).

Shamma has received numerous international awards and distinctions, including First Prize in Painting at the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize (Australia, 2008), Fourth Prize at the BP Portrait Award (National Portrait Gallery, London, 2004), Fourth Prize and Special Mention at the Florence Biennale (2013), and First Prize (Golden Medal) at the Latakia Biennial (2001). She was shortlisted for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in London and honored by the Syrian Ministry of Culture in 2021.

Her works are held in important public collections, including the National Museum of Damascus, the Presidential Palace, the Ministry of Culture (Syria), the British Council, and cultural institutions in the UAE, as well as in prominent private collections across Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Asia.

Through an expressive, psychologically charged figurative language, Sara Shamma has established herself as one of the most significant contemporary painters to emerge from the Middle East, with a practice that resonates strongly with collectors, curators, and institutions internationally.