Sheyam Ghieth is an Egyptian-American artist exploring themes of language, liberation, queerness and exile through illustration, hand lettering, pattern making and graphic design. Her “QUEER in Arabic” and “Nonbinary in Arabic” T-shirt designs have raised relief funds for queer and trans Muslims and Arabs since Ramadan 2020.
Sheyam has created graphics for Netflix, Hulu, A24, HBO and FX; and has designed for shows such as Orange is the New Black, The Americans, and Ramy. Born in Cairo, she has lived all over, including Rome, Zimbabwe, Sudan, NYC and, most recently Portland. She is a former bus driver and an ex-journalist. She lives and creates with her partner, with whom she directed and produced the award-winning transgender scripted series “BROTHERS.”
Sheyem joined us to talk about finding queer community through art, navigating the entertainment industry with its often limited scope of representation, the importance of maintaining a connection to the Arabic language, and more!
