Shadia Alem was born in Makkah in 1960 and has a degree in Art and English Literature from King Abdulaziz University. She originally trained as a painter and also works in photography and installation. In 2011, her Black Arch was shown at the 54th Venice Biennale  –  marking Saudi Arabia's first participation in the world's oldest and most prestigious art fair. Since 2006, she has been living in Paris, engaging in social and cultural exchange. She participated in the first edition of 21,39 Jeddah Arts –  Moallaqat (2014).