ART
SOLO SHOW:
An Informal Affair→ Investigative hanging at Bayt al Mamzar, Dubai, UAE, 2022
GROUP SHOWS:
2024 Levitate, Hayaty Diaries at Garden Walk Shoreditch, London, UK
Queer Enough, Bermondsey Project Space, London, UK
2023 Interplay, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
2022 Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, South Korea
60 Years of Ties, Hangar Space, Amman, Jordan
2019 Amman Design Week, Wadi Finan Art Gallery, Jordan
Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
Mixed Pallete, Wadi Finan Art Gallery, Jordan
2018 Mixed Pallete, Wadi Finan Art Gallery, Jordan
SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PERFOMANCES:
Performance Video in collab w/ Imani Shanklin Roberts and MoCADA → TALK TO HIM, New York, 2021
Installation in collab w/ Bayt Silsal at Ruwwad → Amalgamate, Amman, Jordan, 2018
Wool Installation in collab w/ NADAAA → Entrelac, Amman, Jordan, 2016
WORK EXPERIENCE
Creative Director → Miilkiina, NYC (remote), 2020–2022
Senior Designer → Abadia, Dubai, 2019–2021
Gallery Executive → Green Art Gallery, Dubai, 2018–2020
Studio Assistant → Samia Halaby, New York, 2016–2018
RAYA (b. 1991) explores the politics of the body in a multidisciplinary practice that presents a deeply personal interrogation of form. With a background in textiles and patternmaking, the knowledge of working with soft materials is translated by hand into new sculptural mediums, from steel to copper and creates ornate naturalistic depictions inspired by heritage. Her work proposes that the body is the ultimate tool for reimagination and creation, articulating silent dialogues on autonomy and identity. The nuances of heritage and personal history confront the muted democracies of social constructs, turning her work into an arena for the renegotiation of being.
Based in London, she is of Palestinian heritage. Having been raised in Amman, Jordan. Raya studied at Pratt institute in New York where she began her career. 10 years later, she relocated to Dubai to further her inquiry both personal and professional. She is currently completing an MA in sculpture at Royal College of Art.