The Artists

Shareef was born in Gaza. His maternal ancestors are rooted in Gaza, while his paternal ancestors were expelled from Ramleh in 1948. Active in the art scene from a young age, he attended the Summer Art Academy at Darat Al-Funun in Jordan (2000 – 2003), and co-founded Shababeek (Windows from Gaza) for Contemporary Art. A multidisciplinary artist, Shareef works across painting, photography, and public art installation. His photographs were published in two books, Gaza War (2007) and Gaza Lives (2012).

When the war began in Gaza, Shareef’s family was reuniting in Istanbul, where his two eldest children study. The planned visit transformed into a forced stay when their visitor visas expired, and they could not return to Gaza. Shareef then managed to secure a series of artist residencies, traveled first to Paris in December 2023, then to Barcelona, Madrid, Sierre, and back to Barcelona. His wife and youngest son remained in Turkey without legal status until February 2025, when they received permits to travel to Spain. In April 2025, he received a residency in Marseille, France, where he currently lives with his wife and youngest son.

Shareef’s home is in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza city. During the Israeli ground invasion, explosive robots destroyed his neighbor’s home, one street behind his, and his uncle’s home, two streets away. His own home was partially damaged but remained standing. His brother and other relatives found refuge there. Today, Shareef is seeking a way to safely retrieve his photographic archive from Gaza.