‘Emirati art: A journey through the rise of a prominent cultural scene’

Alongside the prosperous growth of the economy, education sector and real estate, the United Arab Emirates have witnessed an evolution of the art scene and the emergence of a cultural center for contemporary art through the efforts and achievements of individuals and institutions. From the Al Marijah Art Atelier established by Hassan Sharif in the 1980s where artists, writers and other intellectuals took refuge, to the Louvre opening its doors in Abu Dhabi in 2017, the United Arab Emirates art scene developed spontaneously shaping the artistic landscape that exists today.  

Abdul-Raheem Sharif, a businessman-turned-archivist, brother to Hassan Sharif, documented and stored the artworks produced by the first generation of artists, with the collaboration of his son Mohamed. In 2007 he established with the help of the artists The Flying House, a platform for selected Emirati artists where art covered every surface of the house – the doors, windows, walls, steps and trees. For a period of 3 years, based on appointment, The Flying House has welcomed 4,000 visitors.

Around the same period, art galleries began to emerge, amongst them Isabelle van den Eynde opened B21 gallery in 2006, followed by Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde in 2010. Representing members from this small community of unknown experimental practitioners, the gallery proudly has participated in establishing these figures in the UAE art scene and internationally. 

Abdul Raheem and Isabelle will be in conversation with artist Shaikha Al Mazrou whose sculptural experimentations incorporates a wide range of materials such as copper, glass, marble, heavy metal, to reveal the poetry of these materials stacked, balanced or twisted with intuition and tension. Part of now the third generation of artists, Shaikha is  a lecturer in sculpture at the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah.