Bushra Shamma

Born in Syria, Bushra Shamma lived in a number of countries, including Kuwait and England before relocating to New York, then to Northern Virginia. Bushra has a B.Sc in Computing and Statistics from London, England, a Masters in Management from M.I.T. and a Masters in Education from Harvard. She worked in Banking and I.T. before becoming a Mathematics teacher in New York.  In that role, she realized that even though she had not had the opportunity to study art as a youngster, it was never too late to start learning. So in the year 2000, while still working full-time, she embarked on a new journey, taking art classes at The Art Student League and at the National Academy of Design School in New York as well as attending workshops at Hudson River Valley.

Then in 2004-2005, taking a sabbatical, she spent 9 months at three different artist residencies, one in Spain, one in India and the last one in Cyprus where she taught a Figure Drawing class at an art school and had a solo show at a gallery in Limassol. In New York, Bushra’s work has been exhibited often in group shows as well as in a few solo shows. Since her move to Northern Virginia in 2008, Bushra has continued to study at various venues including the Smithsonian, the Corcoran and The Art League School.  Some her work has received First Place as well as Honorable Mention awards. Bushra’s work benefits from her multi-cultural background and experiences. Her forms and her vivid colors re-interpret her emotional reactions to her personal history.