Monya Riachi is an interdisciplinary artist. Her practice is material driven and research-led, and is explored through sculpture, installation, moving image, sound and writing. Her work centres matter as a site of meaning, narrative and archive, and explores themes around loss, ecological transformation, the politics of land and time. Through a broader meditation on socio-ecological transformation, her practice engages with Karen Barad’s theory of agential realism - where matter is generative in bringing forth [new matter and] new worlds.
Monya is based London and works between the United Kingdom and Lebanon. She is the recipient of the 2024 Lewisham Arthouse Graduate Award. Her work has been exhibited in Glasgow, Beirut and London. Previous residencies inclue Material Futures at Cove Park in 2023 and Ashkal Alwan Beirut in 2022. She holds an MFA with distinction from Glasgow School of Art and has a prior background in architecture.
Selected Exhibitions
2025 - A River Between Mountains Group Exhibition, Crafts Council London
2025 - 3obour Residency Exhibition, Fez Morocco
2025 - Marché Ouvert 3-person show, PSLab London
2025 - Dear Mark Solo Performance, TACO! London
2025 - Safe Waters Solo Exhibition, Lewisham Arthouse, London
2024 - Concerning Geographies Solo Performance, Lewisham Arthouse, London
2024 - Vignettes Group Exhibition, Lewisham Arthouse, London
2023 - Life is Short! Group Exhibition, Glasgow
2023 - Encounters Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
2023 - Glasgow School of Art MFA Degree Show Glasgow
2023 - Short Lapses Long Rolls 3-person show, Saltspace Glasgow
2022 - MFA Interim Show Glasgow
2022 - Do Something Group Exhibition, Glasgow
2021 - Rinse Group Exhibition, Glasgow
2020 - ASC Open Group Exhibition, London
Residencies
2025 - 3obour A River Between Mountains
2023 - Cove Park Material Futures Residency
2022 - Ashkal Alwan Residency
Awards
2025 - Freelands Foundation Artist
Bursary
2024 - Boghossian Foundation Visual Arts Prize
2024 - Lewisham Arthouse Postgraduate Award
Education
2023 - MFA Master of Fine Art (distinction), Glasgow School of Art
2013 - BArch (Architecture), American University of Beirut