NIKA Project Space is currently holding Beghost, a solo show by artist Nika Neelova. Displaying her latest works made from glass, clay, and fossilised shark teeth, it offers a speculative interpretation of ancient marine life that once flourished in Buhais Geology Park and Jebel Buhais in the Al Madam Plain archaeological site (Sharjah). These art pieces are showcased alongside items from Indian archaeologist Nirmal Rajah’s fossil collection. The exhibition will be open to the public until 5 October 2024.

Drawing from Neelova’s 2022 research trip to the UAE made possible through NIKA Project Space’s Residency & Research programme, the exhibition delves into the Sharjah region’s extensive geological history. Her pieces evoke the spirit of the desert’s long-lost waters, whose fossilised traces can still be found on the rocks. Using glass, clay, and fossilised shark teeth, Neelova highlights the natural processes that shape the landscape: rock turning into sand, sand into glass, and clay solidifying when exposed to air. These works capture the continuous transformation of matter, fusing chemistry, alchemy, and geology.
Among the standout exhibits is the Medusa series (2023) which features medusas made from antique chandelier fragments and hand-blown glass elements. The sculptures evoke transparency and light, reminiscent of their aquatic namesake. Their shapes also evoke the original function of chandeliers: providing illumination. Another notable work, And their phantoms (2023), is an inverted tree-like sculpture comprising numerous rose stems created from fossilised shark teeth and clay. This artwork reflects the transience of flowers against the enduring nature of fossils.

Meanwhile, Stones (2023), a ripple stone sculptural piece imprinted with human fingerprints on petrified clay, represents the interaction between humans and nature. Visitors can also have a look at Neelova’s Lemniscates sculptures made from reclaimed handrails she found in demolished houses in London. These works reference the Ouroboros snake, the ancient symbol of eternal cycles of destruction and renewal.
About the artist
Nika Neelova (b. 1987), who lives and works in London (UK), graduated with a BA from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (2008). In 2011, she earned an MA in Sculpture from the Slade School of Art in London.
Neelova’s work revolves around the themes of materiality, time, and space, often exploring how materials and architecture shape our sense of time and place. Her practice is based on reverse archaeology, uncovering hidden histories embedded within materials. She repurposes architectural materials and found objects to reveal narratives that challenge their original meanings.

Neelova has displayed her sculptures and installations in multiple exhibitions, such as thaw (a solo show at Noire Gallery, Turin, Italy, 2023); (Everything is) Not What it Seems (Piran Museum of Visual Art, Slovenia, 2023); DRIFTS (there is always ground, even at night) (a solo show at MLF, Brussels, Belgium, 2018); Theatre of the Absurd (Green Art Gallery, Dubai, 2017); Leidenschaft (Museum Biedermann, Germany, 2017); and The Sky is a mountain (Kunsthal 3,14, Norway, 2015), and others.
The artist has received many grants and awards including the Arts Council England Grant (2020), the Sculpture Shock Award & Royal British Society of Sculptors (2013), and the Royal British Society of Sculptors Bursary Award (London, 2012), to name a few. She has also undertaken several residencies: Fondation CAB residency (Brussels, Belgium, 2019), Kunsthal 3,14 Residency (Norway, 2015), and Villa Lena Art Foundation Residency (Tuscany, Italy, 2013), among others. Neelova’s artworks are part of major collections, including the Saatchi Gallery Collection (London), the Museum Biedermann Collection (Germany), and the Beth de Woody Collection (New York).
To get more information about Beghost, please go to the show’s official web page.
In addition, you might be interested in looking at the artworks by Michael Rice, which are exhibited at Mestaria Gallery. We also recommend that you visit the Saruq Al Hadid Archaeology Museum in Dubai, one of the most important archaeological sites in the UAE.
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