Molotov
Acrylic 2022
50 x 100
About
I am an Egypt-based Palestinian artist using art as a form of both expression and activism. My work, which combines figurative art with social commentary, became especially prominent during the Arab Spring and the #MeToo movement, when the anti-sexual harassment imagery resonated with the public.
The intention behind the art, murals and graffiti I create, is to reflect social, political and class issues. Influenced by my Palestinian heritage, much of my work touches on themes of identity, resilience, and community.
Twenty years of experience as a yoga instructor enhanced my understanding of anatomy and human movement, and informs the figurative art that is my primary interest, whether on city walls or canvas. I continue to explore new ways of using art to connect with others, while remaining dedicated to the communities and causes I care about.
Email: Mirashiha@gmail.com
Instagram: @yogimira
Resume
Group exhibition, P21 gallery, London “Art of Palestine, from the river to the sea”. Faisal Saleh curator, two works featured from The Palestine Museum, USA.
September 2024
Group exhibition at the gallery Art talks, Cairo entitled “I wish I were a candle” to raise funds for Gaza.
May 2024
Sep 2022 & Oct 2023
Invited to talk with students of Kymberly Pinder the Dean of Yale Art School via Zoom for a class on public art and activism. Subject: my graffiti in Cairo and past involvement with WOW (Women on Walls) initiative in Egypt.
Exhibition titled 'Listen to Her!’ at University College London, Petrie Museum, London, highlighting Egyptian women's fight to defy the status-quo by focusing on the not-so-ordinary activism of ordinary women.
September 2018
Featured artist in Nefertiti's Daughters Documentary, directed by Mark Nickolas.
"Nefertiti's Daughters is a story of women, art and revolution. Told by prominent Egyptian artists, this documentary witnesses the critical role revolutionary street art played during the Egyptian uprisings. Focused on the role of women artists in the struggle for social and political change, it spotlights how the iconic graffiti of Queen Nefertiti placed her on the front lines in the ongoing fight for women's rights and freedom in Egypt today."—Mark Nickolas
2015
Cover art for:EGYPTE : RÉVOLUTION ET CONTRE-RÉVOLUTION Laure Guirguis Hermann | janvier 2015. Here
Featured with other women activists in a short documentary produced by Frontline Defenders, about our role during Egypt’s uprising. Documentary Here.
2014
2013-2014
WOW - Women on Walls. The first Women on Walls campaign was launched in April 2013, with nearly 40 artists participating, in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and Mansoura.[1] Each city had a separate campaign led by well-known local graffiti artists: Mira Shihadeh created the WOW logo and led the Cairo campaign along with “Zeft”.
2012-2013
Graffiti and murals in downtown Cairo addressing the unrest following the uprising of 2011.
See published work on sexual harassment against women, here, here and here.
2007 to 2020
Taught yoga, while deepening anatomy and psychology studies through observation of different body/mind types. I was proud to be the owner/director of the first Ashtanga Mysore shala in the Middle East (not including Israel).
“I see my all my work as interrelated. My inclination to teach is a natural progression from my artistry and more recently activism. The activist side is by default of being born Palestinian.”
1999 to 2007
Commissioned murals in homes, cafes and restaurants around Cairo as well as resorts on the Red Sea.
This describes how I went about the mural for the iconic La Bodega restaurant when it first opened in Cairo in 1999.
1998
Group Exhibition in NYC including my stone sculpture “tribunal” after two semesters in Stone carving with Silvi Davenport at New School of Social research. NYC
1996-1999
Photo researcher at Graphistock, NYC. A company owned by Graphis Inc. B. Martin Pedersen is owner, publisher and creative director of Graphis Inc.
Graphis stands at the forefront of honoring global creativity. The prestigious Graphis Awards and acclaimed Publications celebrate the industry's best talents worldwide in Design, Advertising, Art/Illustration, Photography and more.
Image Gallery
Here is some of my work.
For further information please email Mirashiha@gmail.com or follow me on Instagram: @Yogimira.