Yumna Al-Arashi (b. 1988) is an artist based in Zürich.


CURRENT

26.09.23 - 17.03.24 Parfums d'Orient, Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris, France


EDUCATION

2022 Master of Fine Arts, Zürich University of the Arts, Switzerland
2011 Bachelor of Liberal Arts, The New School, New York City


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020 I Am Who I Am Who Am I, Anahita Contemporary, Berlin
2017 Shedding Skin, The Hole Gallery, New York City
2017 Shedding Skin, Jason Vass Gallery, Los Angeles


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS / SCREENINGS

2023 Parfums d'Orient, Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
2023 Unseen Reconstructions, La Rada, Locarno, Switzerland
2023 Infinite Loop Of Desires, SihlCity Entrance Screens, Zürich
2022 Les Urbaines Festival, Espace Arlaud, Lausanne, Switzerland
2022 vertrauen, Helmhaus, Zürich, Switzerland
2022 How To Separate Carefully, Grispace170205, Zürich
2022 The Revolution Is A School, MoMA PS1, New York City
2021 The Calm Before The Storm, NEST Gallery, Zürich
2021 Capture Photography Festival, Mount Pleasant Art Screen, Vancouver
2020 European Month of Photography, Studio 4, Berlin
2020 I Am Who I Am Who Am I,  Anahita Contemporary, Berlin
2019 Women in Windows, Chung King Gallery, Los Angeles
2018 The 99 Names of God, Tribeca Film Festival, New York City
2018 Arab Women Artists Now (AWAN), Rich Mix, London
2017 Women In Film, The Roxy Cinema, NYC
2017 Identiad, Squash 73, Mexico City
2017 Projected: Face, International Center of Photography, NYC
2017 Behind The Portrait, Gulf Photo Plus, Dubai
2017 Feminisms x Arab Muslim Diaspora, Protein Studios, London
2016 Girlgaze, Annenberg Space For Photography, Los Angeles,
2016 Her Room, Junior High, Los Angeles
2015 Permanent Collection, Art in Embassies, US Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen
2015 Signed for Syria, Protein Studios, London
2015 Permanent Collection, Visual Supply Co., Oakland, California
2015 I Am Not A Machine, Photoville, New York City


SELECTED WRITING

2020
Why Do We Judge Creative Decisions as Simply Good or Bad? It’s Nice That
2019 The Image of The Woman, Mixed Feelings, Naomi Shimada + Sarah Raphael, Quadrille Books
2019 On Racism And Revenge, I Will Not Be Erased, Gal-Dem, Walker Books
2018 Finding Home, Lindsay Magazine, Issue No. 1


SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS, RESIDENCIES

2021-2022 Artist in Residence, Sihl Delta, Zürich
2018 Tribeca Film Festival, NYC, N.O.W. Award for The 99 Names of God
2019 Artist in Residence, Decelerator Program, StrangeFound, New York
2017 Magnum Foundation Fund Nominee
2017 Shortlist, London National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize
2017 Recipient of International Women’s Media Foundation “Women’s Stories” Grant 2016 Recipient of Arab Fund for Arts and Culture Grant
2015 Recipient of VSCO Artist Initiative Grant



PUBLIC SPEAKING / TEACHING

2022 Positionen der Fotografie mit Yumna Al-Arashi, F+F University, Zürich
2018 - 2020 Lecturer at University of the Arts, London
2020 Falmouth University - Visiting Lecturer
2019 International Photography Festival Olten, Switzerland
2019 NOWNESS panel discussion at Somerset House
2019 The Space, Birmingham - Censorship in the Arts
2019 University of Creative Arts, London - Visiting Lecturer
2019 Study Hall, The Slow Factory at Central Saint Martins, Cancel Culture
2019 It’s Nice That, London, On Representation
2019 University of South Wales and National Museum of Cardiff: The European Centre for Documentary Research Conference, Documentary and Citizenship
2018 ICP/Reuter’s, London, IN FOCUS: Women in Photography
2018 AAMPE, Google Headquarters London, Art in the Digital Age
2018 Frontline Club, London, Photography’s MeToo Movement
2017 Today at Apple, Artist Talk with Yumna Al-Arashi, London


PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

US Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen
Visual Supply Co., Oakland, California


SELECTED PRESS

Yumna Al-Arashi Is Upending the Stereotypes That Shackle Muslim Women, Artsy
Seeking Action — Not Just Talk — About Diversity in Photojournalism, New York Times
Yumna Al-Arashi, Künstlerin, RBB Kultur Radio
Parting Shots, CNN
Northern Yemen Under The Veil, Fisheye Magazine
Shedding Skin, Vogue Magazine
Voices of Change - The All Women Issue, Huck Magazine
Fading tradition of female facial tattoos in Middle East and North Africa, CNN
I Am Who I Am Who Am I, Zeit Magazin
A Photographer Honors Her Great-Grandmother And The Traditional Art Of Face Tattoos, HuffPost
Matriarchal Lines In Muslim Communities Explored By Yumna Al-Arashi, Ignant
Yumna Al-Arashi captures the last generation of Muslim women with facial tattoos, It’s Nice That
These Photographs Are Preserving the Vanishing Tradition of Female Facial Tattoos, Artsy
Projected, International Centre For Photography
Shedding Skin, Index
Yumna Al-Arashi talks identity, art and the importance of the female gaze, Azeema Magazine
Internationaler Frauentag – Fotografie von und für Frauen, Foto Magazin
My work is a protest. Just not against my heritage’, Zenith Magazine