Karim Abu Shakra b. 1982

Born in 1982 in Umm al‑Fahm, Palestine, 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. 

From early solo shows such as Childhood Memories (2012) and The Endurance of Cactus (2015) in Palestine, to his recent exhibition Where Roots Touch the Light (2025), Karim’s work continues to evolve — each canvas a meditation on land, memory, and the invisible threads that bind people to place and to each other. 

In a style that refuses didacticism, he offers instead invitations: to feel, to remember, to imagine. His paintings do not declare answers — they dwell in ambiguity, longing, and possibility.