With Sarah Afaneh
Ages 17+
In English
What sparks a desire to write? A question, a memory, an obsession? Perhaps a work of art that lingers in our consciousness.
Narrative building is an act of translation: a creative labour that moves between dismantling and reimagining, tracing connections across geography and history. It is to pull from fantasy, creativity and mythology while being honest about the attempt.
Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Kate Briggs's This Little Art (2017) as well as Roland Barthes's pedagogy of research—seen as a process of fantasy rather than certainty—this session introduces you to writing as a creative and critical artistic practice. Through close readings of artworks and theoretical texts, alongside experimental writing exercises, you will examine how artists generate meaning through research methods built on attention, curiosity and desire.
The session is free, and all materials are provided.
Sharjah Art Foundation is committed to making its programmes inclusive and accessible. You can arrange for any support needed through the registration form.
For more information, email learning@sharjahart.org, or call (06) 544 4113.
About Sarah Afaneh
Sarah Afaneh is a Palestinian artist (b. 2001) whose interdisciplinary practice encompasses writing, photography, printmaking and textiles. Her current work embodies archives and translates grief through language, image and textile—acts that become liberative gestures of mourning. Alfaneh is a recipient of the Teaching Artists Fellowship at Manarat Al Saadiyat (2025–2026) and the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (2024–2025). Her art has been featured at Bayt AlMamzar, Dubai; Satellite, Dubai; and The Cube, NYU Abu Dhabi. Her writing has appeared in Sumou Mag, Global Art Daily and The National as well as Fiker Institute and Dukkan Collective publications. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Literature & Creative Writing and Social Research & Public Policy, with a minor in Political Science, from NYU Abu Dhabi (2022).