Latest news with #AbuDhabiArt
Al Etihad
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Beyond containment: Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou explores form, fragility in minimalist campaign
13 May 2025 21:46 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Minimalism is a signature of Emirati contemporary artist Shaikha Al Mazrou, and as she returns to the 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art, she brings forth a new vibrant, thought-provoking campaign as she leads the fest's visual identity."Returning to Abu Dhabi Art as this year's visual campaign artist feels like both a return and a progression - an opportunity to reflect on how my practice has grown while remaining rooted in my artistic landscape," Al Mazrou told to be held from November 19-23 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi Art will feature a dynamic programme of exhibitions, commissions and education her latest campaign, Al Mazrou worked with powder-coated steel, inflated forms, along with fabricated surfaces that challenge conventional notions of mass and weight."The themes-suspension, fragility, and containment-are articulated through the material language of contradiction: steel structures that evoke lightness, inflatables fixed in static form," said the artist who first took part in Abu Dhabi Art in a piece of square metal folded in half, forming neat, symmetric lines that are striking - and almost illusory."It plays with the idea of forms caught in transition - on the edge of balance or collapse, solidity or suspension," Al Mazrou said."The visual identity captures this, inviting viewers to question what is fixed and what is in flux."Al Mazrou's artistic language remains grounded in a stripped-down, intentional aesthetic."My practice is guided by a focus on precision, restraint, and material intentionality," she said. "Rather than embellishment, I gravitate toward what is essential, allowing materials and their interactions to speak for themselves."One of her featured works at the fair, "Beyond All Measures", exemplifies her poetic approach to form and meaning."It is a refusal of containment. The title is a provocation-what lies beyond quantification, beyond containment, beyond the rational logic of systems," she piece draws on the metaphor of the horizon-both as a visual boundary and as a philosophical metal oxidation techniques, Al Mazrou creates gradients on copper tiles to reflect "the disorientation and boundlessness of this space".It is the exploration of materiality and colour through oxidised copper, inspired by the horizon as both a physical and symbolic gradients that mimic the mutable horizon, the piece begs viewers to think about perception, ambiguity and the way our notions are made by circumstances."I want the campaign to offer an open invitation for visitors to engage. It is not about directing them toward a specific narrative, but rather encouraging them to pause and allow themselves to experience the subtle tension it evokes," she said. Drawing Inspiration Al Mazrou is among the talented artists who do not keep a fixed, linear source of inspiration. To her, it often emerges from a wide variety of things, from architecture and natural erosion to silence - or even failure."Inspiration is not confined to a discipline or even necessarily to art-it's a form of realisation of forces, contexts, and contradictions that demand a response," she this Emirati talent, art "can often be the most powerful way to engage with reality" - an advice she would tell younger artists. "I hope young emerging artists learn that practice is a long game, one that requires patience and persistence. That rigour can be expansive, and it's okay not to explain everything," she said.
FACT
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- FACT
Abu Dhabi Art 2025 to highlight Shaikha Al Mazrou's work
This year will mark the fair's 17th edition. Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of artistic wonders, because Abu Dhabi Art 2025 is making a triumphant return this November. Celebrating its 17th edition, this year's fair is set to captivate art enthusiasts from near and far. This event is not just an exhibition, it's a celebration of the world's creative diversity. From 19 to 23 November, Abu Dhabi Art 2025 will transform Manarat Al Saadiyat into a mesmerising hub of artistic expression. Prepare to be dazzled by a spectacular array of artworks as galleries come together to strut their stuff. This year's visual campaign will be headed by Shaikha Al Mazrou, an Emirati artist known for her minimalist sculptures and thought-provoking use of materials. Represented by Lawrie Shabibi Gallery in Dubai, her work features a fusion of geometric abstraction, materiality, and conceptual depth. She is known for using mass-produced materials, such as electronic waste and construction debris, transforming them into sculptures. Her unique approach to repurposing these industrial materials into art pieces has made her a standout figure in the UAE's creative landscape. Apart from highlighting Shaikha Al Mazrou's work, Abu Dhabi Art will also feature plenty of galleries — applications for which are open now. Each one of the galleries at Abu Dhabi Art is handpicked by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, ensuring a lineup that's nothing short of extraordinary. Abu Dhabi Art is a platform for diverse curatorial perspectives and fostering community engagement which plays a pivotal role in UAE's art ecosystem. With art installations, engaging talks and workshops and much more, this event is not one to be missed. So stay tuned and keep your art-loving heart ready for an unforgettable rendezvous. GO: Visit for more information.
Al Etihad
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi Art announces dates, visual campaign artist for 17th edition
4 Apr 2025 08:26 ABU DHABI (WAM)The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art will take place from November 19-23 at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, (DCT Abu Dhabi) the fair will showcase Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou as the Visual Campaign Artist for 2025, highlighting her influential role in the UAE's dynamic art Dhabi Art continues to play a key role in advancing the UAE's growing art market. The fair is the highlight of a year-round programme by Abu Dhabi Art, encompassing commissions, exhibitions, and a strong focus on educational outreach. Each year, the Visual Campaign Artist creates the fair's visual identity. Shaikha Al Mazrou is represented by Lawrie Shabibi Gallery in Dubai. Her appointment as this year's artist is a testament to her groundbreaking contributions to contemporary art in the Nusseibeh, Abu Dhabi Art Director, commented: 'Shaikha participated in our 2017 edition of Abu Dhabi Art as a Beyond Emerging Artist, and we are thrilled to see the progression in her work at this stage in her career. She has become one of the most successful artists of her generation in the UAE. "The series we have chosen to work with for the visual campaign and visual feel of the fair, offers an exploration of materiality, a repurposing of discarded matter from fabrication sites in the UAE, a certain experimentation or playfulness in creating folds in her work with their attendant unfoldings referencing infinite moments of becoming. At the fair itself, we will be showing Beyond All Measures (2024), an artwork of oxidation on brass that explores the horizon as a metaphor for thresholds and a point against which our perceptions are shaped. Like the material itself, which is inherently unstable, its colours forged by heat and oxygen, Beyond All Measures metaphorically invites us to explore new ways of perceiving the world around us and to question our position in it.'Al Mazrou's artistic practice is deeply informed by minimalism and conceptual art, drawing on the influences of Modernist and Bauhaus artists such as Paul Klee, Carle Andre, and Wassily Kandinsky. Her work merges mass-produced materials, like electronic waste and construction materials, with colour and form, creating geometric abstract sculptures that explore notions of space, tension, and Al Mazrou said: "Art isn't about making things. It's about provoking thought. It's a language that doesn't need borders, yet we still insist on them. My work? It's a journey, one that raises more questions than answers, and maybe that's the point. The transformation of materials is just a way of questioning what we think we know.' Al Mazrou's work is part of major international collections, including the RMZ Foundation, Art Jameel, and The Farjam Foundation. She is a winner of the Paulo Cunha e Silva Art Prize (2020) and was shortlisted for the Louvre Abu Dhabi Richard Mille Art Prize. She is also Assistant Arts Professor of Visual Arts at NYU Abu Dhabi.
The National
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Abu Dhabi Art announces dates and visual campaign artist for this year's fair
Abu Dhabi Art will return to Manarat Al Saadiyat in November for its 17th year The annual fair, which is organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, will take place between November 19 and 23. The event is a staple in the emirate's cultural calendar. Last year, more than 100 galleries from around the world took part. DCT – Abu Dhabi has also named the visual campaign artist for this year's Abu Dhabi Art. Shaikha Al Mazrou will define the fair's visual identity and her work will inform its marketing campaign. The Emirati artist is a notable figure in the country's contemporary art scene. Her sculptural works are often large and use painted metal to explore form, space and abstraction. Her 2022 work Red Stack, for example, was displayed in Regent's Park as part of London's contemporary art fair Frieze. Eight large cushions, cast in metal, were piled several metres into the sky. Between the pillowy forms of the cushions and the rigidity of the cast metal, the structure appears hard yet soft at the same time. 'Shaikha participated in our 2017 edition of Abu Dhabi Art as a Beyond Emerging Artist and we are thrilled to see the progression in her work at this stage in her career,' Dyala Nusseibeh, director Abu Dhabi Art, said. 'Shaikha has become one of the most successful artists of her generation in the UAE. The series we have chosen to work with for the visual campaign and visual feel of the fair offers an exploration of materiality and a repurposing of discarded matter from fabrication sites in the UAE.' Al Mazrou's 2023 work Beyond All Measures will be among the highlights at the fair. The artwork, using oxidised brass, depicts the horizon while exploring its symbolism as a threshold and point of transformation. 'Like the material itself, which is inherently unstable, its colours forged by heat and oxygen, Beyond All Measures metaphorically invites us to explore new ways of perceiving the world around us and to question our position in it,' Nusseibeh said. Al Mazrou, who is represented by Lawrie Shabibi Gallery in Dubai, has works in several major collections around the world, including the RMZ Foundation, Art Jameel and The Farjam Foundation. In 2022, she won the prestigious Paulo Cunha e Silva Art Prize and was shortlisted for the Louvre Abu Dhabi Richard Mille Art Prize. Al Mazrou is also an assistant arts professor of visual arts at NYU Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Art is also accepting gallery applications for its 2025 fair. The deadline to apply is April 30.
Zawya
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Zawya
Abu Dhabi Art extends artist commissions in cultural sites until April 30, 2025
Abu Dhabi Art has announced extended dates for its Artist Commissions in Cultural Sites program which will remain on view until April 30, 2025. The exhibition of works by Dina Mattar, Manal Mahamid, and Ahmad Saeed Al Areef, conceived around social imaginaries of the indigenous gazelle in the Arab world and first displayed during Abu Dhabi Art in November 2024, will now remain on display at Al Ain Oasis and Al Jahili Fort with free entry during normal visitor hours for a further two months. This extension allows the public to visit and engage with these artworks through a series of tours, workshops, performances, and talks, registration for which is available through the Abu Dhabi Art website. "We have extended the exhibition dates for this group show, which responds to the notion of the gazelle—an important cultural symbol in the UAE and the Arab world – to allow more people to engage with the works in exhibition through our year-round public engagement programmes, which include free artist led workshops and tours for the public" said Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art. Manal Mahamid explores the significant cultural relevance of the gazelle as a powerful symbol in literature, poetry, and environmental discourse. In her works for Al Ain Oasis and Al Jahili Fort, Mahamid reflects on the gazelle's shared heritage in the UAE and the Levant. Ahmad Saeed Al Areef Al Dhaheri presents both new and existing works within the historic walls of Al Jahili Fort. The works are centered around the fictitious figure of Lady Lioness, inspired by the artist's childhood memories. Dina Mattar showcases a new series of works, including painting, tatreez embroidery, and works on paper. Her references to the gazelle are prevalent throughout the exhibition, drawing on various associations that connect the gazelle to stories, legends, and landscapes, including different plants and flowers. Al Ain Oasis is open daily from 9 am to 5:30 pm, and Al Jahili Fort is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. For further information on the artists or to register interest in a workshop or tour visit the website -Ends- About Abu Dhabi Art: Abu Dhabi Art expands beyond the notion of a traditional art fair, in placing strong emphasis on a diverse public engagement programme, including art installations and exhibitions, talks and events that take place in different locations throughout the year. The culmination of this year-long programme is the Abu Dhabi Art event in November, which provides an important sales platform for participating galleries whilst also offering these galleries an opportunity to showcase ambitious installations and site-specific works by their artists to a wide audience. For more information about Abu Dhabi Art's year-round programmes, visit and follow Abu Dhabi Art on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi: The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi's culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi's wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate's position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate's potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism. DCT Abu Dhabi's vision is defined by the emirate's people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi's status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought. For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit: and To schedule interviews with the artists, please contact Abu Dhabi Art Programmes team at programmes@ For media inquiries: ada@
