Manal Shoukair is a Lebanese American artist whose work in video performance, sculpture, and site-specific installations explore the complex intersectionality of her multicultural identity, Islamic spirituality, and contemporary femininity.
Shoukair’s installation work directs the viewer in space that is only partially physically accessible, forcing the feeling of being left out or cut off from something. It prompts the viewer to explore a space physically, psychologically, and culturally; methodologies that parallel her intuitive practice.
She has been featured in art publications, including Hyperallergic and Sculpture Magazine. She holds a B.F.A. from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and is a recent M.F.A. from the sculpture and extended media department at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the recipient of the Gilda Award from the Kresge Foundation and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Fellowship.
During her time at MacDowell, Shoukair researched and developed an immersive site-specific installation that explores the ancestral history and traditional practices of olive oil soap making within the SWANA region—a practice deeply rooted in the cultural tapestry of Lebanon and her heritage. This new work is scheduled for completion and exhibition within the next year. This installation aims to illuminate the conversation of tradition, customs and labor within this ancient craft, as well as unveil memories and traditions that have been violently destabilized and slowly rewritten overtime.
