Artist Malak Cherri awarded prestigious $50k Kresge Fellowship

Malak Cherri is the first student at HFC to win the Kresge Artist Fellowship Award.

For 2025, Cherri is one of 15 recipients to receive a $50,000 “no strings attached” monetary award and a year of professional practice support from the Kresge Foundation in Troy. She won in the painting category by submitting the following original paintings:

• “Resilience”
• “From The Rubble”
• “Education”
• “Sun-Kissed Recitation”
• “Childhood Symptoms”
• “Once Upon a Time”
• “The Secret”

“I still can’t believe I won!” said Cherri. “Like most other artists, I struggle with being satisfied with my own work, so this award was a huge boost in my confidence, motivation, and drive! I’m so excited to find out where this revived passion and the add-on of the reward will take me!”

Application for Kresge Fellowship was inspired by her education at HFC

Cherri says she wouldn’t have won, or even entered this contest, had she not attended HFC. Her experiences at the College played a major role in in her artistic development. Her most influential teacher was HFC art instructor Nemanja Rosic.

“Professor Rosic mentioned the Kresge Art Institute to me and encouraged me to apply about three years ago,” recalled Cherri. “This year, I decided that I wanted to apply.”

“Malak won this coveted award on her first try!” said Rosic. “It is my great pleasure and honor to learn that she received this year’s prestigious Kresge Fellowship Award.”

Taking classes at HFC transformed Cherri’s artistic skill.

“Before taking art classes at HFC, I never touched oil paint in my life,” explained Cherri. “Taking multiple painting classes with Professor Rosic throughout the years was the key to improving my skills. He is an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable in his field. He went above and beyond to convey the information being taught, making sure I understood the principles of painting and generously offering everything he knows. Thanks to that – along with perseverance, dedication, and hard work – I was able to improve tremendously!”

Painting, an avocation that became a passion

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Cherri is the middle of three children and the only daughter. She immigrated to the United States in 2006 and lives in Dearborn with her husband of 19 years, Dr. Assem Elfakih. The couple has four children, ages 12-18.

Cherri – who is fluent in English, Arabic, and French – completed her high school education overseas. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in translation from the Islamic University of Lebanon and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon, respectively.

Cherri began taking art classes at HFC in 2018. She spoke about her late uncle, who was a calligrapher, a painter, and an art collector, as well as an inspiration.

“I’ve always admired his dedication to his work. Thanks to him, I’ve always loved everything creative like calligraphy, decor, antiques, and handmade art, so I decided that I wanted to learn everything related to art and interior design,” said Cherri. “I started taking random classes at HFC to further my knowledge. Then I stumbled upon painting classes. I had no experience with this medium, but when I started delving more into it, I realized that I was able to learn and make progress.”

Cherri has worked diligently on her painting under the tutelage of Rosic for seven years. Her first class with Rosic was Painting I.

“It is impossible for me not to praise Malak’s dedication, hard work, talent, and passion for studying art. Her incredible story is a testament of her engagement and true immersion in the student experience. This immersion has manifested miraculous results and should shine as inspiration to others on a similar journey,” said Rosic.

Cherri has won the following honors:

• Honorable mention in the 2021 Student Fine Art Competition
• 2nd place in the 2-D art category at the 2023 Liberal Arts Network for Development (LAND) Conference
• Best of Show in the 3rd annual Greatest Student Exhibition hosted by The In Art Gallery, an online art gallery based in Collinsville, IL
• 1st place in the 2-D art category at the 2024 LAND Conference
• 1st place and 2nd place in the Central Region in the 2024 Literary Magazine Competition
• 3rd place in HFC’s 2025 annual Student Visual Arts Exhibition at the HFC Sission Art Gallery

Cherri’s artwork is her voice for peace and alleviating suffering

Cherri plans to invest her award money purchasing her dream easel for easier painting, as well as other resources and tools to advance her craft.

“I want to buy some Belgium linen to make my own custom-sized canvases to better bring my ideas to life, as well as a high-quality miter saw to resize the antique frames I buy for my paintings,” she explained. “I also want to buy a digital camera to capture professional photos of my paintings, which would also be a great start to further paint and advertise my work. Ironically, when I got the phone call from Kresge, I was browsing through antique frames for my future projects that I’ve been considering since the original application process.”

Cherri is hard at work on “A Story to Tell: Children in War,” a new series of paintings.

“A big part of my work is having a voice in the community, to speak out against wars and the people and suffering that result. This prestigious award has done wonders for expanding my voice and allowing me to advocate for peace during a time when it’s needed most,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunities that have arisen as a result of this award. I dearly hope that, in time, I will continue to grow, improve, and be a voice among many others in Metro Detroit. Thank you so much to Kresge, to HFC, to Professor Rosic, and to everyone who believed in me!”

NOTE: While Cherri is the first HFC student to have been named a Kresge Fellow, the first person from HFC to have been named a Kresge Fellow is HFC art instructor Mariam Ezzat.