ABOUT
Nagla Samir is an Associate Professor of Practice for the Department of the Arts, The American University in Cairo.
NaglaSamir taught in several institutions since 2002,
joined the launching program of graphic design at AUC as adjunct faculty, and then as full-time faculty in 2016.
She holds a Ph.D in Visual Communication, an MFA in Advertising, and a BFA in Graphic Design.
She worked as a graphic designer and a creative director until 2002.
She leads a parallel career as an interdisciplinary media artist and an independent international curator.
EDUCATION
1992 B.S Graphic Design Department - Helwan University
1997 M.F.A Graphic Design Department - Helwan University
2002 PH.D Graphic Design Department - Helwan University
Developing Audience’s Perceptual Awareness Through Contemporary Design Strategies.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2016 - Currently Associate Professor of Professional Practice for the Graphic Design Program, Department of the Arts, The American University in Cairo
2013 - 2015 Adjunct Faculty, Graphic Design Program, Department of the Arts, The American University in Cairo
2010 - 2014 Part-time Assistant Professor, Department of Graphic Design, Faculty of Applied Arts & Sciences, German University in Cairo
2008 - 2011 Adjunct Faculty, Program of Visual Arts, Department of the Arts, The American University in Cairo
2005 - 2007 Part-time Faculty for Graphic & Advertising Department, Art & Design, Academy, 6th of October
2005 - 2006 Part-time Faculty, Department of Advertising, Faculty of Applied Arts, 6th of October University
2002 - 2004 Full time Faculty, Department of Advertising, Faculty of Applied Arts, 6th of October University
ACADEMIC SERVICE
2020 Head of the Graphic Design Program Accreditation Committee, AUC
2018 Awarded Mentor of the Year by the Life Mentorship Program under the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management, The American University in Cairo
2018 Served as Co-Chair of the Materials and Collaterals Taskforce in the Committee for the AUC Centennial events
2018 Supervised the design of the minted AUC centennial coin in collaboration with Ghalia ElSrakbi
2018-2019 Served as member of the stirring committee and jury member for the AUC/TAMEER Water Tower Project, under the AUC Neighborhood Initiative
2015 Co-organised “The Egyptian Surrealists in Global Perspective” Conference, The American University in Cairo- Organized by the Sharjah Art Foundation in collaboration with the Institute for Comparative Modernities, Cornell University
2010-2011 Director of Sharjah Art Gallery, The American University in Cairo
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
2020 Cofounded and manages Art in Reverb, a Creative Collaborative dedicated to human centric design and art consultations.
2020 Art directed AUC 2120 Virtual Reality experience, in collaboration with Next ARCH, and WombTech, AUC, Egypt.
2019 Guest Jury for Matter Branding Annual Creative Review, Cairo
2017 President of the Arabic Culture Media Award Committee,MENA Cristal Awards- Marrakesh, Morocco
2017 Head of Jury for Salon 20 for rising artists, Ministry of Culture, Egypt
2016 Chaired “Cairotronica” Conference, at The American University in Cairo
2006 - 2009 Founder & Director for Passage 35 Center for Contemporary Art, Fine Art Sector
2007-2010 Jury Member of Nile Salon for Photography, Cairo
2006 Jury Member of the Annual Youth Salon, Cairo
2005-2006 Granted the Ministry of Culture Scholarship for Arts in the field of Photography
2005-2006 Designed Scenography for "Masks Off" and "Forbidden Dreams”, Directed by Lenin El Ramly, for the Cairo Festival for Experimental Theatre
1998 - 2000 Creative Director for Integrated Media International, Cairo
1996 - 1997 Graphic Designer, Graphic Line Advertising Agency, Cairo
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2020 Supervised and curated the futuristic fashion design collection by AUC design students, as part of the AUC centennial fashion show in collaboration with Ghadir Agbany
2019 Curated “This is What Has Come to Be”, Contemporary Reflections on the Egyptian 1919 Revolution, Howard Hall, the American University in Cairo, Tahrir Campus.
2018 Curated “Red Dots No Red Lines”- Mouneer Alshaarani Design Retrospective - Sharjah Art Gallery, the American University in Cairo
2016 - 2017 Co-curated “When art Becomes Liberty: The Egyptian Surrealism 1938-1965”, Organized by the Sharjah Art Foundation in collaboration with the Institute for Comparative Modernities, Cornell University and the American University in Cairo. Launching exhibition at the Palace of the Arts, Cairo. Tour at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Deoksugung, Seoul
2016 Curated “The Ripple Effect: Azza Fahmy Design Retrospective”, Sharjah Art Gallery, the American University in Cairo
2016 Curated “Debunking Orientalism”, The Untitled Space, Tribeca Art District, New York, USA
2015 Curated “Beyond Classification” contemporary art Exhibition, Sewanee University of the South, Tennessee, USA
2015 Curated “Heyya Fawda: Tribute to Youssef Chahine”, Ambient and guerrilla projects all around New Cairo campus, AUC
2014 Co-curated “El Touni Design Retrospective”. Launching exhibition at the Sharjah Art Gallery, the American University in Cairo. Tour to Nuqat Conference for Art and Design, Kuwait
2014 Project Manager of “Generator” the 6th Cairo Video festival, Medrar for Contemporary Art
2012 Curated “Liberation: A Process Review”, Havremagazinet, Boden, Sweden
2012 Project Manager of “Bearing Witness: Stories of ordinary people living extraordinary times”, with the US State Department, the Bronx Museum, and Medrar for Contemporary Art, Cairo
2010 Curated "A Survival Guide", Sharjah Art Gallery, AUC, Egypt.
2009 Co-curated “Roto project, The Choice”, Mequias Khan - Cairo, Egypt. Then touring Turin, Italy - Bratislava, Slovakia- Prague, Czech Republic - Dublin, Ireland.
2008 Curated "IMAFY" The 1st International Media Art Forum for Youth, Palace of Arts, Cairo
PUBLICATIONS
2020 Canaan’s Traverse: Ventures Across Disciplines, Published by Department of the Arts, AUC, Egypt.
2019 Co-authored “This is What has Come to Be”, in collaboration with Wael El-Mahalawy, Heba Shetta, Published by the office of the Associate Provost of Research, Innovation & Creativity, AUC
2018 Authored “Red Dots No Red Lines”, concurrent with Mouneer Alshaarani’s Design Retrospective, Published by Department of the Arts, AUC
2016 Co-authored “The Ripple Effect” concurrent with Azza Fahmy’s Design Retrospective, with Saif El Rashidi, Published by Department of the Arts, AUC
2016 Authored “Debunking Orientalism”, Published by Syra Arts, Washington D.C., USA
SELECTED ART PARTICIPATIONS
2018 Group work celebrating 30th anniversary of Institute Du Monde Arabe, Paris, France.
2017 Invited to the distinguished Arab photographers group exhibition, Palace of the Arts, Cairo
2017 Invited to 15 Women Photographers, The Photographic Gallery, AUC
2016-2017 “I Am” group exhibition, Amman, London, Washington, Wyoming.
2015-2016 “The Bridge” group exhibition, Paris, Cairo, London, New york, Chicago, Washington, Portland, Wyoming
2014 Off event for 100 most distinguished Egyptian artists celebrating “Silver Jubilee for Youth Salon”, Cairo
2013 “Lost in Transmission”, Rester Partir, Le Voyage Impossible, Voies Off Festival, Arles, France
2012 “Morphosis”, Palm Springs Art fair
2011 “Lost in Transmission”, Lulea Biennale, Sweden
2010 "Domestic Archives", Arab Union of Photographers, Hamburg, Germany
2010 "The Human Figure", Palace of Arts, Cairo
2010 "Old Gamers", Off- Biennial Private collective show, Ofok Jeeran Gallery
2010 "Forgotten Voices" Solo Exhibition featuring new collective "Boys and Toys", The Photographic Gallery, AUC
2009 “Undercurrent”, Contemporary Egyptian Art show, Artsawa, Dubai
2009 “Final Dance", Fugitive projects film collectives, Nashville, USA, Basel, Switzerland, Dublin, Ireland.
2008 The Fourth Pyramid “Um Kalthum Exhibition”, Institute Du Monde Arabe, Paris, France. Touring 2009 Bahrain, Dubai
2008 “What’s Happening Now”, Reviewing Egypt's Contemporary Art Scene, Palace of Arts Cairo
2007 Granted Award of the Mediterranean Biennale D’ Alexandrie for the video installation project "Shrine of Holy Trinity"
2007 "Lo Spirito Di Assisi", Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi, Italy
2007 Solo Exhibition "Forgotten Voices", Gezira Art Center, Cairo
2005 Solo Exhibition, "Winged", Gezira Art Center, Cairo
ACQUISITIONS
Museum of Egyptian Modern Art
Benetton Imago Mundi Art Collection
Private Collectors