Tarek Al-Ghoussein

Tarek Al Ghoussein was born in Kuwait in 1962 to Palestinian-Kuwaiti parents. He graduated with a BA in Fine Arts-Photography from New York University, New York (1985) and an MA in Arts-Photography from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1989). He now lives in Sharjah, UAE where he is Professor of Photography at the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah.

He has exhibited extensively in the Arab world and abroad. A selection of his most recent solo shows include “Tarek Al Ghoussein – A Retrospective: Works from 2003-2010”, Sharjah Art Museum, UAE (2010); “Disorientation II”, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi (2009); “In Absentia”, Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem; and “Self-portrait: A, B, C and D Series”, Kalfayan Galleries, Athens and Galerie Brigitte Schenk, Köln. He has participated in numerous group shows, most recently at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Korea (2011), and including “Unerwartet, Unexpected: From Islamic Art to Contemporary Art”, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany (2010); “Roads Were Open, Roads Were Closed”, The Third Line, Dubai (2008); “New Ends, Old Beginnings”, the Bluecoat, Liverpool (2008); “The Jerusalem Show: Edition 0.1”, Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem (2008); “Dubai Next”, Vitra Design Museum and Fire Station, Weil am Rhein, Germany (2008); “Never Part”, the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels (2008); “Re-Orientations”, European Parliament, Brussels (2008); the Singapore Biennale (2008); Nimes Museum of Contemporary Art, France (2008); “Self-portraits”, Around The Coyote gallery, Chicago (2008); “Dubai Dubai”, Total Arts Gallery, Dubai (2007); “Languages of the Desert”, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2007); and “Invisible Cities, Ideal Cities”, Zamoc, Poland and Potsdam, Germany (2006).

Al Ghoussein has also been selected for several international biennales, including the 21st Photography Biennale, Thessaloniki, Greece (2011); Inaugural UAE Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009); the Singapore Biennale (2008); First Brussels Biennale, Belgium (2008) and Sharjah International Biennale, UAE (2005, 2003).

His work is in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Darat Al Funun, Amman; Rami Farook Collection, Dubai; The Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; and the Sharjah Art Foundation. He is also collected by The Third Line gallery, Dubai; Zwemmers Fine Photographs, London; and Rose Issa Projects, London.

He has published a monograph; “In Absentia: Photographs by Tarek Al Ghoussein” (Page One Publishing Group, Singapore, 2009); has been profiled in several international art journals, such as “Art in America”; “Art Forum”; “Bidoun”; “Canvas”; “Contemporary Practices”; and “Photo Review”; and has featured in international newspapers, including “Gulf News”, “Khaleej Times” and “The National”, all UAE; “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, “Berliner Zeitung” and “Frankfurter Rundschau”, all Germany; “The Daily Star”, Lebanon; “Libération”, Paris; “The Houston Chronicle”, Texas and “The New York Times”.