Alia Farid

Alia Farid (b. 1985) is a Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican artist and researcher affiliated with the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University as the 2023–2024 David and Roberta Logie Fellow. Her practice bridges art, architecture, and urban anthropology, focusing on marginalized histories, the legacy of Western imperialism, and the ecological impacts of extractive industries in the Global South.

• Education: BFA from La Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, MS in Visual Studies from MIT, and MA in Museum Studies from MACBA (Barcelona).

Farid’s research interrogates the politics of water and informal networks in post-colonial contexts, particularly in Kuwait, Puerto Rico, and Southwest Asia. Her recent exhibitions include Talismans (Kupol LR 3303) (2025, Harvard Radcliffe Institute) and Elsewhere (2023, Chisenhale Gallery), which trace Arab and South Asian diasporas in Latin America and the Caribbean through sculpture, film, and textiles. She explores transregional solidarity movements and the material culture of displaced communities.

Notable scientific awards include the

• Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award (2023, $100,000 prize and solo exhibition at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in 2024)
• Creative Capital Award (2022).

Farid’s work has been exhibited globally, including at the Whitney Biennial, Sharjah Biennial, and Yokohama Triennale. Her upcoming solo shows include Chisenhale Gallery (London) and Detroit Institute of Arts.