[1] In several interviews, Altowai has stated that her connection with art began during her early childhood, with her paintings often displayed in the hallways of her school, earning her the nickname "the violet painter.

Their collaborative performances, which combined Altowai's paintings with Bamatraf's piano compositions, quickly gained popularity and marked the beginning of their shared artistic journey.

[17][5][10] Altowai's story and her artistic collaboration with her husband Bamatraf gained wider attention and were featured in a short documentary Voice of the Rainbow (Arabic: صوت قزح),[1][5] which was selected to be screened at the Karama Human Rights Film Festival that was supposed to take place in Sana'a in October 2018.

[22][15] The White Canvas exhibition by Shatha examined the challenges faced by Yemeni families during the ongoing war, with a particular focus on the experiences since the conflict escalated.

The series aims to document and reflect on the daily struggles for basic necessities—such as food, water, electricity, fuel, and security—as well as the solidarity among families in Yemen.

After relocating to Edinburgh, she observed a stark contrast between the ease of accessing basic needs in her new environment and the hardships endured by families back home.

In this series, she numbers the families rather than naming them, a choice that mirrors the reduction of individuals to mere statistics in both Yemeni and international media narratives.

The composition and image together evoke a reflective mood, prompting viewers to consider the absence of life and the loss experienced by communities affected by conflict.

Being involved in the project has made me more determined to fight for gender equality.”[22] As part of the collaboration with Art27Scotland, Altowai and her husband co-created a short play titled Saber Came to Tea.

A reviewer noted that one of the pieces features six contorted figures supporting oval forms, evocative of infants, symbolising the heavy emotional toll carried by parents amid the ongoing civil war in Yemen.

The artwork consists of 3 prints aims to reflect on the devastating impact of the Yemeni conflict, which has resulted in the deaths and severe injuries of over 11,000 children since 2015.

[39] Altowai participated in an event titled Reflections on Exile and Displacement from Institute of Middle Eastern, Central Asia and Caucasus Studies (MECACS) at the University of St Andrews.

[41][42] In November 2024, Shatha Altowai was selected as a member of the inaugural Global Community for Women’s Leadership (GCWL) cohort by the IIE.