Born in Umm al-Fahm in 1982, Karim Abu Shakra was raised in a family renowned for its passion for art and creativity. He was especially influenced by the artwork of his late uncle, Assem Abu Shakra, who continuously supported his passion for art and his talent. Abu Shakra’s work is inspired by bits and pieces and fragments of his childhood memories, which reflect his deep connection with nature and his surroundings. Abu Shakra’s artworks can be considered as his autobiographies, as he himself notes: “I paint without thinking and without planning what I’m going to paint. The painting’s theme stems from within me, but before I start painting, I try to collect my memories. It’s important to say that I observe meticulously each and every bud or rock around me, and I sometimes enter a meditative state; for example, when I stare at the Sabra leaf for hours. And when I paint, I notice nothing but my painting. Perhaps you can compare me to other artists that I either know or don’t know. Each thing that I see – I do not paint it until I feel it, and it becomes a part of me, and all you see is a part of who I am.”

Karim Abu Shakra has participated in several groups and solo exhibitions in Palestine and internationally. Some of his solo exhibitions include The Endurance of Cactus at Gallery One, Ramallah (2015); Unity of Man Nature and Animal at Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery (2015); Childhood Memories at Jaffa Saloon of Palestine Art (2012); Black and White at the Palestinian National Theatre, Jerusalem (2009), among many others. In addition, he has participated in many group exhibitions such as Faces… a Glimpse in Time, at Palestinian Art Court al Housh in East Jerusalem (2014); Ostraka Symposiums, Sharm Al-Sheikh, Egypt (2011) and Etre Né(e) Nu(e)/DESIdeRata, Memory of the Future, Paris, France (2008).