b. 1950, Manama, Bahrain; lives and works in Bahrain

Balqees Fakhro is recognized as one of the Gulf region’s pioneering female abstract painters known for her signature abstractionist style and themes revolving around belonging and memories of places.

In her work, Untitled, Fakhro alludes to basic forms of living and rudimentary dwellings, such as tents and caves of our ancestors, as well as refugee camps and displaced people. Her technique involves high contrast between light and dark, as well as texture to give complexity. Her monochromatic color scheme is intended to portray a dream-like quality, and a sense of vagueness. Like most of her work, this piece is left untitled so it is open to interprtation by the viewer.

In 2021, Fakhro was appointed to the newly established National Arts Council of Bahrain. Actively involved in solo and group exhibitions locally, regionally, and internationally for decades, Fakhro has been a member of the Bahrain Formative Art Society since the 1980s. Her artworks are featured in museums and collections worldwide, including the Bahrain National Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Jordan, The Kinda Foundation of Saudi Arabia, and the Hamburg State House in Berlin, Germany. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and art history from the University of San Francisco, US.