Ya Shoosh
Shereen (Ya Shoosh) is a Bay Area raised, queer Arab Muslim educator and visual artist based in Philadelphia. As an instructor at Temple University, she teaches undergraduate courses on race, religion, and society through a decolonial lens. Shereen's art employs Arabic calligraphy and portraiture to explore identity through the complex intersections of race, gender, religion, and sexuality. Her work critiques hegemonic discourses that erase marginalized Muslim voices and has been featured in the Arab American National Museum, as well as in online publications such as Za'faraan zine and Bigmouth. Shereen was a Kiva fellow in Palestine and a participant of the Decolonial Black Feminism program in Brazil. She holds masters degrees from UC Berkeley and Temple University in sustainable international development and comparative religion, respectively.
Awarded Grants
2018
Art and Change Grant (ACG)
Related grantees
Overview
Ya Shoosh will curate Kweerz Mara Min Hona (Queers Were Here): A Muslim Visibility Project. This two-part project will feature a mixed media art installation with interviews from queer and trans Muslims alongside a portrait series. Ya Shoosh plans to share the project in a community space to facilitate dialogue around pressing issues. There will also be a potluck gathering in conjunction with the exhibition opening. The project will expand to culminate in the creation of a website to engage with other LGBTQ+ Muslim artists.
