Iyad Qanazea Gallery is currently home to Self Care, a solo exhibition by Emirati artist Rami Farook, on display until 23 December 2025. One of his most intimate and introspective exhibitions yet, Self Care brings together about forty works on paper, crafted over the past fourteen years of his practice.
Farook uses materials such as ink, pastel, charcoal, and lead, both delicate and raw, to traverse the space between image and text, instinct, and reflection. The choice of paper as medium is symbolic: fragile, absorbent, and intimate, paper becomes a vessel for emotion, memory, and vulnerability. On paper, feelings cannot be easily hidden, impulses become visible, and notes, whether prayers, affirmations, or diary-like thoughts, gain permanence.
Some artworks draw their titles from writings Farook once had on his bedroom wall, such as personal fragments, prayers, and aspirations. The effect is haunting: the boundary between the private and the public blurs.
Together, these pieces form something akin to a self-portrait and a social landscape. Through the exhibition, Farook invites us to witness internal dialogues on motivation, protection, fate, faith, as well as the quiet pursuit of balance, healing, and growth. In this sense, Self Care is a meditation on vulnerability, resilience, the human craving for care, and the possibility of self-healing. The gesture of mark-making itself becomes an act of devotion, reflection, and emotional honesty.
About the artist
Rami Farook (b. 1981, Dubai) is a self-taught interdisciplinary artist, curator, and producer. Before fully committing to art, Farook studied business at Boston University’s School of Management, ran part of his family business, and developed a serious interest in art as a collector and patron. Over time, this evolved into setting up his own art spaces and galleries, turning from collector to curator/participant in the creative world.
Farook’s practice, which he describes as dealing in “self & social, portraits & landscapes”, is deeply personal, emotionally driven, impulsive yet thoughtful. He uses diverse media and formats to explore identity, faith, memory, society, and the emotional landscapes of human experience.
Over the years, Farook has participated in many exhibitions and major art events around the world, including Art Dubai 2025; ATHR Collector’s Circle Exhibition (the 2nd Edition) (ATHR, Jeddah, KSA, 2023); Frieze London (UK, 2022); the Sharjah Biennale’s 2nd act (Beirut, Lebanon, 2017); and the Kochi Biennale (Kerala, India, 2012), among others. His accolades include the GQ Men of the Year Award (2022) and the International Young Design Entrepreneur Award (2009).
To get more information about Self Care, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
You might also be interested in exploring Everything Comes to an End, a group show at Foundry Downtown Dubai.
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