Biography

The sculptures and installations of Mohamed Yousif are distillations of his engagement with and contemplation of the natural environment. Motion and stillness feature prominently in his works, perhaps a conceptual extension of his parallel interest in theatre and live performance.

Yousif organised a solo exhibition of his work entitled Exiting In at his residence in 2003. In addition, his work has been presented in group exhibitions both locally and internationally in the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Japan. Most notably, his work was included in the UAE Pavilion, 56th Venice Biennale, and he has been an active participant in the Emirates Fine Arts Society exhibitions since the founding of the organisation in 1979.

He is the recipient of the UAE Honour Award (2009) and the first Golden Prize at the Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, Dhaka (2003). He is a founding member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society and has served as the chairman of the board of directors for the Sharjah National Theatre.

Yousif holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Cairo College of Fine Arts (1978); a Master of Fine Art from Webster University, St Louis, US and a PhD in Fine Arts from Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad, India. He was born in 1953 in Sharjah, where he continues to live and work.