Karima Shomely: Between a Fold and a Memory
About Karima Al Shomely
Dr. Karima is an artist, visual researcher, educator. Her prints, photographs, paintings, and installations have been featured in many important exhibitions both in UAE and internationally. Recent exhibitions include “Buqshe”, University of Exeter, UK (2025). “Their Stories” at ECC, Venice Italy (2024) and “Sahhara Hidden Adornments” at Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah (2022). Alshomely exhibited in numerous international venues including Expo 2020-Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Paris, Berlin, Huston, London, New York, Seoul and Bonn. Awards included First Place in Sultan Al-Owais Award, 2018, 2005, 2002; Prize from 5th Egyptian International Print Triennial, Cairo, 2006; and Second prize, Sharjah International Art Biennial, Installation Category, 2001. Her research focuses on Islamic geometry and heritage iconography of Emirati Women.
About Leila Heller Gallery
Since its establishment four decades ago, Leila Heller has gained worldwide recognition as a pioneer in promoting creative dialogue and exchange between Western artists and Middle Eastern, Central and Southeast Asian artists. In 2010, Leila Heller moved from the Upper East Side to its flagship space, Leila Heller Gallery, in Chelsea where it has garnered a reputation for identifying and cultivating the careers of artists leaving a lasting impact on contemporary art and culture.
In March of 2019, Leila Heller made her return to the Upper East Side after eight years. The New York space has since brought its focus back to the secondary market, and has hosted events such as Double Vision, curated by Jane Holzer and featuring works by Andy Warhol, Richard Prince, Jeff Koons, and Keith Haring, amongst others.
In 2015, Leila Heller opened the Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai, its first international location in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue. At 16,500 square feet and 32-foot ceilings, it is a state-of-the-art gallery that features three exhibition spaces, making it the largest gallery in the Middle East. Showcasing leading regional and international artists, many of whom will be presenting their work in the Middle East for the first time, the gallery is dedicated to supporting the evolving practice of established artists. The gallery has strong innovative curatorial and educational programs with an emphasis on promoting a dialogue between Western and Middle Eastern artists.
In addition to presenting a dynamic exhibition schedule, Leila Heller Gallery actively organizes shows with world-renowned curators, hosts educational panels and film screenings, and produces catalogues and books with scholarly essays. Each year the gallery participates in major international art fairs and stages off-site projects as a platform for exploring new conversations within a wider context of galleries, artists and institutions. Gallery artists have consistently participated in international museum exhibitions and biennials, and are included in leading institutional collections worldwide.