Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai

Lamya Gargash

United Arab Emirates (b.1982)

Lamya Gargash is a Dubai based photographer who lives and works in Dubai. Her photographs of Emirati society in public and private settings are among her most recognized work. Gargash focuses on the preservation of certain aspects of traditions and cultures, and how others have been lost with time. Her work fuses together interior design, theatrical elements and museum displays as she addresses generational shifts with an undertone of nostalgia.

Lamya received her Masters of Arts in Communication Design from Central Saint Martin’s in the UK in 2007 after graduating from the American University of Sharjah in 2004. She was the first Emirati artist to represent the UAE at the country’s first National participation at the 53rd Venice Biennial in 2009. Gargash has participated in numerous group shows in Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan and France. 

Additionally, she participated in several film festivals such as Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland; Osaka Film Festival, Japan; Amsterdam Arab Film Festival, Netherlands; Paris Arab Film Festival, France and Dubai International Film Festival, UAE. Throughout her career Lamya has won a number of awards for her work in film and photography. In 2004, Lamya received first prize in the Emirates Film Festival, as well as Ibdaa Special Jury Award for her movie titled, Wet Tiles. 

Her work is included in the collections of the Barjeel Art Foundation and Sharjah Art Foundation.

Courtesy of Lamya Gargash and The Third Line, Dubai.