The NFT art world might be dominated by men, but there are ample incredible women that are worth paying attention to in the booming space. One thing is certain: the Arab world has always been rich in artistic greatness and sheer brilliance. The recent boom and focus on the digital world increased exposure to numerous things the artistic population of the Arab region has always had to offer. Kristel Bechara, in March 2021, introduced a series of paintings titled Beauty in Diversity & DeFi via blockchain, making her the first Middle Eastern artist to do so. This article provides an introduction to several other Arab NFT illustrators and artists in 2024 who are helping to raise the profile of NFTs and art in the Middle East.
Leading Arab NFT Artists To Know in 2024
Kristel Bechara
From the Middle East region is the Lebanese-born UAE-based contemporary visual artist Kristel Bechara. Bechara’s works from her many collections have been shown in galleries all over the world, garnering her a number of prestigious awards. Bechara has released multiple art collections, solidifying her position as a pioneering artist in the MENA region through her use of NFT technology.
Zeinab Alhashemi
Zeinab is of Emirati origin. She holds a bachelor of arts in Graphic Design from Zayed University. Zeinab is an artist and visual storyteller who creates her work through the use of multimedia. She is known for her large-scale contemporary site installations and specializes in conceptual art. Zeinab also served as the Creative Director for Crypto Emirate, an exhibition of Emirati digital art.
Ruba Salameh
Ruba Salameh is a Nazarene multi-talented artist. Her artistic output as a whole can be read as an exploration of concepts such as territory, geography, nationalism, and upheaval. In the first NFT exhibition in Sharjah, titled Gateway to the Metaverse, held at House of Wisdom last year, her works “Ants Work” and “Stripcle BRO” were featured.
Nourie Flayhan
Nourie Flayhan’s works are well-known for their surrealist quality. She was born in the United States to Lebanese parents, spent some time in Kuwait, and then completed her education in London. Flayhan draws inspiration from the women whose stories she heard as a child to create her works. Flayhan uses politically charged imagery and gives voice to underrepresented stories because she views it as her social duty to do so.
Artist Ichraq Bouzidi
The Moroccan artist says her work comes from a gender perspective and explores complicated emotions. Bouzidi incorporates the world around her and the mundane aspects of her daily life into her surrealist paintings. Her minimalist and multilayered approach enables her to explore societal tensions through language that is both poetic and metaphorical.
Takeaways
Without a doubt, development in the NFT space can be achieved thanks to the talents and abilities that Arab men and women are proud to display through their art. As a large and expanding industry, the sector is ripe with opportunity for anyone willing to put in the time and effort.
