Nesma Abu Shaʿira (Nasma Abu Shaʿīra) (نسمة أبو شعيرة) was an artist and lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts and Graphic Design at al-Aqsa University. In February 2023, eight months before her untimely death, she was appointed Assistant Head of her department. 

Nesma Abu Shaʿira was born on 26 April 1987 and lived in Gaza City. She earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees – in Fine Arts and Architecture, and in Clinical Nutrition – both from al-Aqsa University in 2011. In 2018, she completed a master’s degree from the College of Education at Islamic University of Gaza, with a specialization in General Curricula and Teaching Methods. Her MA thesis addressed the question whether developing artistic design skills benefits significantly from training in improving students’ visual intelligence. Nesma Abu Shaʿira conducted a controlled experiment between two groups of female students in the Faculty of Fine Arts at al-Aqsa University. She concluded that those who had followed coursework with systematic training in both perceiving and manipulating visual details had demonstrably more sophisticated design skills than those who had not.

As an artist, Nesma Abu Shaʿira especially enjoyed creating character sketches of mystical creatures and characters from books. However, her Instagram account was her gallery, where she exhibited the range of her artistry and creative production. At the time of her death, she was engaged in a few different projects; she was creating illustrations for a children’s book, as well as a new series of artworks “documenting Palestine” in her own way. Abu Shaʿira was a recognized artist: in 2011, for example, she won third place in the first Gaza Contemporary Art Festival. 

As a teacher and pedagogue, Professor Abu Shaʿira was very proud, especially of her female students, in whom she saw “a bright future.” She routinely posted her students’ artwork on Instagram, especially their storyboards which she considered a compelling medium for sharing the Palestinian story. She was loved by her students who, in their tributes, spoke of her in glowing terms: 

“I never imagined that one day I would share my sorrow and exhausted feelings, and experiences that will never be lost from my memory, like the departure of my teacher, for example.”

‏“My beloved teacher, Nesma Abu Shaʿira, or as we always called her, ‘Miss Nesma’ – the one with the tender heart and the gentle, kind influence. My former teacher at the College of Fine Arts excelled in her field and always aimed to do her very best. I used to consider her my role model and I regarded her as my favorite artist.”

“Our last encounter was during the discussion of my graduation project…. I will never forget the sparkle in her eyes and her pride in her student at that moment.”

“It breaks my heart, truly, to lose you. We will never have another teacher like you!”

“It’s difficult for me to say that she was and remains in the past, but God is my witness that she is always in my heart and prayers.”

Nesma Abu Shaʿira was killed with her daughter, Habeeba (Habība), on 28 October 2023 when an Israeli airstrike hit her home in Gaza City. She was 36 years old.

Photo credits: Our Gaza; Untold Palestine