Biography
Omamah Ashmeel is an illustrator, painter, printmaker, and embroidery artist whose work is deeply rooted in storytelling. She brings narratives to life through vibrant colors, rich textures, and expressive characters, drawing inspiration from stories, nature, emotions, and culture. Through her art, she seeks to evoke a sense of wonder while exploring personal and cultural histories.
Omamah holds a Master’s degree in Illustration from the University of the Arts London, a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Dar Al-Hekma University in Jeddah, and a Diploma in Visual Development for Animation from Idea Academy in Rome. Her diverse artistic background allows her to blend traditional and digital techniques in her work seamlessly. She has illustrated more than five picture books and exhibited her work locally and in the UK. In addition to her practice, she is passionate about fostering creative communities. She has been leading painting and illustration workshops with various cultural organizations since 2022 and has founded Jeddah Sketching Club, a sketching get-together that encourages making sketching a habit for everyone.
Currently, Omamah is expanding her artistic practice by experimenting with printmaking and different illustration techniques, continuously pushing the boundaries of her visual storytelling.
Printmaking
Hadramout
In her work, Omamah Ashmeel explores her Hadrami identity and heritage. Saudi by nationality and half-Hadrami by ethnicity, she grew up feeling both alienated from and in conflict with these parts of herself. This project forms part of a larger autobiographical body of work that reflects on themes of identity, heritage, family, siblinghood, and immigration, all grounded in the space of the artist’s childhood home. Through it, Omamah revisits the Hadrami traditions and customs she was surrounded by growing up, those she now finds closest to her heart in a personal journey towards belonging.
Year: 2025
Size 80 x 15 cm
Medium: Block Printing on Henna stained paper
Mangos From across the Indian Ocean
Year: 2024
Size: Various Sizes
Medium: Lithography, Collage , and mono Printing on Paper.
The World of Year Long sun
YLS is Omamah Ashmeel personal illustration brand. A name inspired by Jeddah’s year long sunny days. Omamah created the immaginary world of YLS with its special characters, visual language and charactaristsc. This world-building serves as the foundation for a wide range of handcrafted products, including printmaking, embroidery, ceramics, stationery, and more. At its heart, YLS combines Omamah’s love for illustration with her passion for making
Year: 2024
Size: Various Sizes
Medium: Etching and Aquatint on Somerset paper.
Painting
A collection of pleinair paintings done over the years form 2022-2025.
Year: 2022-2025
Size A5
Medium: Gouache on paper
بنات الظل Girls of the Shadows
This illustration series talks about micro-aggression and neglect towards women and their relationship to growth and self-fulfillment. The project depicts female figures in different observed situations along with parts of plants which each illustrate an intimate unexpressed feeling. Micro-aggression towards women is deeply rooted in a great number of communities and, if addressed at all, is often faced with belittlement. The analogy with plants links the idea of growth and their similarities with the human body. The series consists of five illustrated pieces and an accompanying handwritten text that compliments all the pieces. The Project was created during MOC Al-balad Art residency in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Year:2022
Size: Various Sizes
Medium: Watercolors, ink and colored pencils on cotton paper