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Weekly UAE museum & gallery guide: Last chance to see Malaysia's artistic transformation
This week's exhibitions are rooted in specific cultural geographies.
From the Persian traditions in Reza Derakshani 's paintings to a group exhibition that offers a cross-section of Middle Eastern contemporary art and Malaysia's journey to modern nationhood, each show is informed by the visual language of its place of origin.
Here are three exhibitions to look out for.
I Paint Your Grace, I Paint Your Pain, I Paint Love at Leila Heller Gallery
Reza Derakshani 's first solo exhibition in five years brings together pieces from three bodies of work by the Iranian-American artist.
In The Hunt / Rider series, he draws from Persian miniatures and poetry and the artist's experiences growing up in north-eastern Iran. The series features horses as a metaphor for the pursuit of meaning and freedom.
The Day and Night / Fig Leaf series embeds imagery from Persian conceptions of paradise. In the Migration / Grey Zone series, meanwhile, Derakshani blends abstraction and figuration to trace his movement across various geographic and artistic landscapes, including symbols such as turtles and fragmented maps of Iran.
I Paint Your Grace, I Paint Your Pain, I Paint Love is a sharp entry point into Derakshani's practice, showcasing his deft exploration of personal and socio-political topics through Persian artistic traditions.
Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 11am-7pm; until September 15, Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai
Tajammul at XVA Gallery
Tajammul is a group show that spans painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media. It brings together works by 16 artists including Basil Alkazzi, Hussein Almohasen, Imran Channa, Behdad Lahooti, Colleen Quigley, David Howarth, Debjani Bhardwaj, Elizabeth Dorazio, Moussa Tiba, Richard Ketley, Morteza Zahedi, Charlotte de Bekker, CC (Alireza Asbahi), Mahmoud Hamadani and Oussama Garti.
The show's title is drawn from the Arabic word for beauty and, according to the exhibition literature, offers a snapshot of the contemporary artistic landscape of the Middle East, celebrating aesthetic diversity and layered cultural narratives. Tajammul is curated by Carina Vicente.
Monday to Sunday, 10am-6pm, until September 11, XVA Gallery, Dubai
To Know Malaysia is to Love Malaysia at the Cultural Foundation
To Know Malaysia is to Love Malaysia: Highlights from the AFK Collection is now in its last month. The group exhibition at the Cultural Foundation features works by influential first-generation Malaysian contemporary artists, selected from the AFK Collection, one of the most extensive archives of Malaysian art from the 1980s to the present. Artists represented include Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Ahmad Fuad Osman, Ali Nurazmal, Anniketyni Madian, Yusof Ghani, Zulkifli Yusoff and others.
The exhibition traces Malaysia's transformation from a newly independent, rural society to a modern nation. While spotlighting individual artistic practices, it also explores how these works engage with the country's evolving social, cultural and political narratives. Blending diverse styles and perspectives, the show offers visitors a rich journey through Malaysia's contemporary art landscape and its deeper reflections on identity, progress and national heritage.
