Karim Abu Shakra Palestinian, b. 1982

Born in Umm al‑Fahm, Karim Abu Shakra emerges from a deeply rooted tradition of creativity. Raised in an artistic family, his path was profoundly shaped by the legacy of his late uncle Asim Abu Shakra — whose cactus-laden canvases spoke quietly yet powerfully of exile, displacement, and identity. 

After graduating from the arts program at Beit Berl College, Karim embarked on a journey to translate memory, belonging, and longing into colour and form. His oeuvre — primarily oil and acrylic on canvas — moves fluidly between figuration and abstraction, blending surreal imagery, folkloric echoes, and vivid painterly energy. 

At the heart of his work lies a symbolic lexicon: cacti, olive branches, birds, whales — shapes that resist a singular reading and invite contemplation. The cactus, or sabra, stands out as a signature motif: a plant that endures harsh terrain, rooted yet resilient. In Karim’s hands it becomes not a static symbol but a living emblem of survival, hope, and continuity — a visual metaphor for people who remain, remember, and resist. 

But Karim’s imagery seldom remains literal. In series such as Metamorphosis, plants, animals, and humans converge in hybrid forms — cactus-cockatoos, fish drifting above seated men, whales carried in the sky — unsettling yet soulful. These works challenge the boundaries between the human and the natural, the familiar and the uncanny, suggesting that identity, memory, and existence are fluid terrains. 

Karim Abu Shakra has presented a series of solo exhibitions throughout his career, beginning with In Love with Color and Brush at Tamra Municipal Gallery in 2008, curated by Ahmed Knaan, followed by Black and White at the Palestinian National Theater, Jerusalem (2009). In 2013, he exhibited Self-Portrait at Abdaa Gallery, Kfar Yassif, curated by Ahmed Knaan. In 2015, he presented The Continuity of the Accumulation at Gallery Echat in Ramallah and The Unity of Man, Nature and Life at Umm al-Fa Ham Art Gallery, curated by Ahmed Knaan and Aida Nasrallah, with an artist’s book supported by the Israel Lottery for Culture. Subsequent solo projects include From Inside to Outside at Mahmoud Darwish Gallery, Nazareth (2016), Metamorphosis at Gallery Zawyeh, Ramallah (2017), The Thorns of Life at Mahnaim Gallery – Art Gallery, Mahnaim (2019), What Stands Opposite to the Face at Petah Tikva Museum of Art, curated by Neta Gal-Atzmon (2022), and Where Roots Touch the Light at Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah (2025).

Abu Shakra’s work has also featured in numerous group exhibitions internationally. Key shows include Black Coffee at the Festival ‘The Holiday of Holidays’, Beit HaGefen, Haifa (2006); Memory in the Future and Future Memory in Paris, France (2008); Portraits with Aroma 2 at Yigal Alon House, Ginosar (2009); Gaza is Not Running Out, Shababik Contemporary Art Group, Gaza (2010); the Jaffa Salon of Palestinian Art, Jaffa Port (2011); The Olive in Palestinian Artat Al Saraya Gallery, Nazareth (2012); Tree Mask at Yigal Alon House, Ginosar (2012); and the ‘Palestinian Art Salon’ featuring Karim Abu Shakra – New Works (2013). Later exhibitions include My Views in the Vision of Time, Elfalesteny Fan-El Hosh, Jerusalem (2014); Roots of Identity, BOND Museum, Beirut, Lebanon (2016); Kesher, Art Kiyan, Amman (2016); The Same Place, Oranim College Gallery (2016); Shish Tzabar, Zuzu Gallery, Emek Hefer (2021); Fokat, Tel Aviv Museum of Art Point (2021); The Spirit of Man, the Spirit of Place, Ein Harod Art Center (2022); and recent shows including Fresh Paint, The Village Salon, Beit Hankin – Multidisciplinary Museum Space, Kfar Yehoshua, Kol Ha'am – War Diary, Janko Dada Museum, Ein Hod, From Palestine with Art, P1 Gallery, London (2024), In Her Image, Ramat Gan Art Museum (2025), Will There Ever Be Days, Heussenstamm-Galerie (2025), and MENASA+: Thresholds of Representation at Kavi Gupta | Washington Blvd. Chiago, IL.