Tewa Barnosa

I am an artist and a curator. In 2015 I founded waraq art foundation and opened its art space in Tripoli, Libya with the vision to revive the art scene. I didn't receive any education after high school because I invested my school savings for starting up the art space and to "learn by doing" since there wasn't proper art education in my country. I focused on socio-political issues and topic that connected to the transformation within Libyan society in the conflict situation we go through, how youth and young artists are engaging with the topics that happens in their daily life, through curating exhibitions, organising talks, discussions and interactive performances between the artists and the audiences.

However, Art in Libya is still considered unacceptable and carries a lot of controversy in it's simple presence, the space that I opened was shut down after a militia attack, and that's what turned us into looking for alternative methods of engaging the public in our creations. I started planning projects with more focus on the user experience and audience development strategies, we went to the streets, exhibited, discussed and talked about red line topics such as immigration, identity, ongoing conflicts, violation of basic human rights. As an artist, I tend to make collects that tells a story, driven by what I witnessed and been through in Libya. Currently, I moved to Berlin for one year fellowship as an artist and a curator in residence, via a relocation program, where I am working both on projects that bridge and connect the culture of North Africa and Europe.
My personal website.