Tasneem Sarkez

Employing an aesthetic she describes as “Arab kitsch,” the New York based artist Tasneem Sarkez works across various media to create works that are united by an elegant marriage of pop culture visuals and potent symbolism. Elements of autobiography combine with broader mainstream signifiers, often nodding to American media and culture, in an ongoing exploration of her own experience of living in the diaspora as an Arab woman. The culture of the internet, with its ability to disseminate and recontextualise images on a global scale, is influential on her practice, as is a more art-historical interest in both romance and poetics. She has described her work as being intended to evoke a feeling of “Apricity,” an old-fashioned word that refers to the experience of feeling the rays of the sun in winter: a revelation of something real and warm hidden beneath the cool, slick surface of commercial imagery.

b. 2002, Portland, USA
Lives and works in New York

Education
2024

BFA , New York University

Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions
2025

Rose Easton, London, UK (forthcoming)

Romance, Pittsburgh, USA (forthcoming)

Group Exhibitions
2024

SL x RE, Silke Lindner, New York

WANAWAL Archives, curated by Evar Hussayni, FORMA Arts, London, UK (forthcoming)

Landscapes of Ornamentation, curated by Marie Catalano, 80 WSE Gallery, New York, USA

Dirt in the Eye, Gnossienne Gallery, London, UK

2023

Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, London, UK

Me and You and Me and, SADE Gallery, Los Angeles, USA

2022

Printing the Future: Riso Revolution, curated by Panayiotis Terzis, Diefirma NYC Gallery, New York, USA

2021

Liminal Space, curated by Annabelle Park, 42 Rivington St, New York, USA

LKTV exhibition with Lino Kino Collective, Auto Mat gallery, Philadelphia, USA (2021)

Awards & Grants
2023

Martin Wong Award

Collections
2024

FORMA Arts, London UK

2023

Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

SL × RE (New York), Silke Lindner, 28 June – 2 August 2024

SL × RE (New York), Silke Lindner, 28 June – 2 August 2024

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SL × RE (New York), Silke Lindner, 28 June – 2 August 2024

SL × RE (New York), Silke Lindner, 28 June – 2 August 2024

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Tasneem Sarkez, 24 Karat, 2024, oil on canvas, 91 x 115 x 5 cm (35 ⅞ x 45 ¼ x 2 in)

Tasneem Sarkez, 24 Karat, 2024, oil on canvas, 91 x 115 x 5 cm (35 ⅞ x 45 ¼ x 2 in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, 24 Karat, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, 24 Karat, 2024 (alternative view)

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SL × RE (New York), Silke Lindner, 28 June – 2 August 2024

SL × RE (New York), Silke Lindner, 28 June – 2 August 2024

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Tasneem Sarkez, Loujain Al-Hathloul, 2024, Oil on canvas, 63 x 29 x 4.5 cm (24 ¾ x 11 ⅜ x 1 ¾ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Loujain Al-Hathloul, 2024, Oil on canvas, 63 x 29 x 4.5 cm (24 ¾ x 11 ⅜ x 1 ¾ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Loujain Al-Hathloul, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, Loujain Al-Hathloul, 2024 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Stars Betray Their Order, 2024, Oil on canvas, 38 x 38 x 4 cm (15 x 15 x 1 ⅝ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Stars Betray Their Order, 2024, Oil on canvas, 38 x 38 x 4 cm (15 x 15 x 1 ⅝ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Stars Betray Their Order, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, Stars Betray Their Order, 2024 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Stars Betray Their Order, 2024 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Stars Betray Their Order, 2024 (detail)

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Art Brussels, Booth 6A-34, 25–28 April 2024

Art Brussels, Booth 6A-34, 25–28 April 2024

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Art Brussels, Booth 6A-34, 25–28 April 2024

Art Brussels, Booth 6A-34, 25–28 April 2024

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Tasneem Sarkez, Come to Dubai, 2024, Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 101.6 x 4 cm (30 x 40 x 1 ⅝ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Come to Dubai, 2024, Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 101.6 x 4 cm
(30 x 40 x 1 ⅝ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Come to Dubai, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, Come to Dubai, 2024 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Come to Dubai, 2024 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Come to Dubai, 2024 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, A.P.A.D, 2024, Oil on canvas, 50.8 x 91.4 x 4 cm (20 x 36 x 1 ⅝ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, A.P.A.D, 2024, Oil on canvas, 50.8 x 91.4 x 4 cm (20 x 36 x 1 ⅝ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, A.P.A.D, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, A.P.A.D, 2024 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, A.P.A.D, 2024 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, A.P.A.D, 2024 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Amazonian Rose, 2024, Oil and inkjet transfer on canvas, 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Amazonian Rose, 2024, Oil and inkjet transfer on canvas, 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Amazonian Rose, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, Amazonian Rose, 2024 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Amazonian Rose, 2024 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Amazonian Rose, 2024 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, American Dream/Death Blossom, 2024, A-frame Signicade, 116.8 x 68.5 x 7.6 cm (46 x 27 x 3 in) Tasneem Sarkez, American Dream/Death Blossom, 2024, A-frame Signicade, 116.8 x 68.5 x 7.6 cm (46 x 27 x 3 in)

Tasneem Sarkez, American Dream/Death Blossom, 2024, A-frame Signicade, 116.8 x 68.5 x 7.6 cm (46 x 27 x 3 in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, American Dream/Death Blossom, 2024 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, American Dream/Death Blossom, 2024 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Driftless Dreamers, 2023, oil on canvas, 25.4 x 30.5 cm (10 x 12 in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Driftless Dreamers, 2023, oil on canvas, 25.4 x 30.5 cm (10 x 12 in)

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Dirt in the Eye, Gnossienne Gallery, London, UK, 2024

Dirt in the Eye, Gnossienne Gallery, London, UK, 2024

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Tasneem Sarkez, A Lion’s Words, 2023, text embedded in metal dog tags on ball chain, 37 x 6 cm (14 ⅝ x 2 ⅜ in), dimensions variable

Tasneem Sarkez, A Lion’s Words, 2023, text embedded in metal dog tags on ball chain, 37 x 6 cm (14 ⅝ x 2 ⅜ in), dimensions variable

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Tasneem Sarkez, A Lion’s Words, 2023 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, A Lion’s Words, 2023 (detail)

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Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

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Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023, Oil on canvas, 35.5 x 45.7 x 2 cm (14 x 18 x ¾ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023, Oil on canvas, 35.5 x 45.7 x 2 cm (14 x 18 x ¾ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, 11:11, 2023 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023, Oil on canvas, 76 x 76 x 3 cm (30 x 30 x 1 ⅛ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023, Oil on canvas, 76 x 76 x 3 cm (30 x 30 x 1 ⅛ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (detail)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Good Morning, 2023 (detail)

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Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

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Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

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Tasneem Sarkez, Chessboard, 2022, Laser etched acrylic, 30 x 30 cm (11 ¾ x 11 ¾ in)

Tasneem Sarkez, Chessboard, 2022, Laser etched acrylic, 30 x 30 cm (11 ¾ x 11 ¾ in)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Chessboard, 2022 (alternative view)

Tasneem Sarkez, Chessboard, 2022 (alternative view)

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Tasneem Sarkez, Chessboard, 2022 (detail)

Tasneem Sarkez, Chessboard, 2022 (detail)

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Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

Saccharine Symbols, Rose Easton, 16 November – 20 December 2023

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