Mohammed Shamma

Mohammed Shamma, a self-taught artist from the San Francisco Bay Area, first fell in love with papyrus as a child visiting Egypt. Decades later, his twin passions for photography and ancient materials merged through cyanotype printing on papyrus. Constantly pushing its possibilities, Shamma now explores carbon transfer techniques while exhibiting locally and teaching workshops in alternative photographic processes at the Petaluma Art Center.
From: Petaluma, California, USA
Shows: Cyanotypes and Polaroid lifts on papyrus

[Show slideshow]

Mohammed Shamma is a self-taught artist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was ten years old when he first visited his family in Egypt and discovered papyrus hanging on the walls of the Egyptian Museum. He immediately wanted to touch it, paint on it, and recreate the colors and scenes of the ancient world. At the gift shop, he held a sheet of papyrus for the first time — it was like touching history itself. Its fibrous texture told a tale of craftsmanship and a deep connection to the Nile’s fragile yet resilient fertile lands.

Upon returning home, his mother gifted him a Kodak Disc camera, and his passion for papyrus was replaced by a new fascination with photography.

He would not reconnect photography with papyrus until 30 years later. On a routine family trip to Cairo, a relative gave him a 35mm film camera. Instantly, his heart was filled with nostalgia, and he dove back into photography. In the process, he was reminded of his early love for papyrus. He returned to painting on it — but something was missing.

That’s when his passion for alternative photographic processes began. Initially, he experimented with inkjet transfers, but it wasn’t enough. He then tried Polaroid transfers, which were very rewarding, yet he longed for something larger. This led him to cyanotype printing on papyrus. Always pushing the limits of the medium, he is now exploring the carbon transfer process for his next venture.

Mohammed currently participates in local art shows and craft fairs and offers workshops on Polaroid emulsion lifts and cyanotype printing at the Petaluma Art Center.

“Papyrus is not just a typeface, artefact or perennial sedge; it’s a natural fabric for human creativity and the enduring power of visual storytelling.”

More about Mohammed Shamma: