My Story
Shatha Sbeta, Founder
I was born and raised in Tripoli, Libya; but I lived my young adulthood in different countries. I was constantly navigating cultural, social and linguistic spaces while trying to comprehend my identity and journey.
That's why I chose to devout my academic life to the study of social sciences. For my BA, I studied politics and human development and international relations at Earlham College. During which, I studied the impact of the discourse of tribalism on the democratization process in Libya. Still curious, I joined Claremont Graduate University to complete my MA in International Studies.
Throughout this journey, I realized how Libyan women are underrepresented.
Thinking of ways to intertwine my academic background with my passion for women empowerment, I decided to launch De-Orientalizing Art. A social enterprise that uses art made by Libyan female artists as a force to foster cultural connectivity and empower women by amplifying their artistic voice and providing financial opportunities.
Artists
Faiza Ramadan
Faiza Ramadan was born in 1988 in Tripoli Libya, the daughter of a Libyan father and Ghanaian mother. Self-taught as an artist, she graduated from Informatics College with a degree in Business Administration. Faiza started painting in her teen years as a hobby but later transformed art into a work practice specifically after the Libyan revolution in 2011.
Faiza has worked with a wide variety of mediums creating a diverse collection, her styles includes thick and heavy abstract painting, some expressive painting using prime colors as well as portraits of human faces. Her works are personal expressions and memories of the ever-changing social, economic and political movement in the country. Expression and emotion has always been an inspiration to her work with portrait that speaks loudly to the audience through their intense emotion and facial expression.
Her main goal is to connect with the international community and importantly having an impact in my country and encouraging women to join and be a part in this field.
In 2017, Faiza was selected as one of the artists to participate in the festival “pour le libye” in Tunis, which was hosted by the French institute and embassy to Libya. Her works were also exhibited, in the same year, at the third edition of Choufftouhonna feminist art festival