Sharjah Art Foundation Announces First Cohort of ‘Artist-in-Residence’ Program

Sharjah Art Foundation has announced the first group of artists selected for its 2025–2026 Artist-in-Residence Program, chosen from nearly 2,400 applications submitted from 126 countries following an international open call.

The program offers emerging and established artists dedicated time, space, and resources to develop new research and production projects in dialogue with the Foundation’s curatorial team and the cultural context of Sharjah and the wider region. Residencies will take place at Bait Obaid Al Shamsi in Sharjah and the Kalba Ice Factory between November 2025 and January 2026. A second cohort will be announced in February 2026.

Selected artists include Meitha Abdullah (UAE), Afra Ahmed (Yemen), Daria Goncharova (Russia), Fatemeh Kazemi (Iran), the duo Hennity and Goldox (Jordan/Germany), Jim Gaspar Lumbera and Joy Alexis (Philippines), and Mila Balzeyeva (Buryatia/Russia). Their practices span performance, installation, film, textiles, digital media, and research-driven work exploring identity, memory, displacement, and environmental themes.

Sharjah Art Foundation continues to position the emirate as a hub for contemporary artistic experimentation and cross-cultural dialogue.