FN Designs is currently hosting Dubai: Light, Lens, Legacy, an exhibition that expands on the idea of photography as both a witness and an active agent in shaping the city’s visual history. Open until 8 January 2026, the show is part of a wider celebration tied to Leica’s 100th anniversary of the Leica I camera, a milestone that revolutionised photography by introducing the first compact 35 mm format.
The exhibition displays 50 iconic photographs spanning from the 1940s to today, which reflect Dubai’s transformation and the broader evolution of visual storytelling. Among the highlights are works by Sir Wilfred Thesiger, one of the 20th century’s most influential explorers, whose images provide rare and enduring records of the region’s landscapes and ways of life.
The historical material is presented alongside contemporary perspectives by Emirati photographer Fatma AlMosa, Dubai-based photographer Hisham Khonji, photographer and filmmaker Joseph Hutson, and photographer Saeed Nassouri.
AlMosa is known for her black-and-white photography, especially street and cultural imagery. Her work delves into heritage, human connection, and cultural continuity, aiming to preserve and share UAE traditions through visual narrative. Khonji, who began photographing around 20 years ago and is largely self-taught, explores various techniques and experiments with film and digital photography. His photos pair personal perspectives on the city with broader historical narratives.
In his practice, Nassour examines identity, urban rhythm, and the poetry found in ordinary moments. He captures moments in iconic architectural contexts, such as interior explorations of the Museum of the Future, with attention to symbolic text and forms embedded in Dubai’s built landscape. Meanwhile, Hutson focuses on the “in-between” moments of daily life, favouring scenes that reveal meaning beyond the conventions of the decisive moment.
Rather than presenting a singular narrative, the exhibition embraces multiplicity. Familiar landmarks appear alongside overlooked neighbourhoods, transient moments, and subtle human presences, offering a more nuanced portrait of the city. The showcased works invite viewers to slow down and reconsider how Dubai is seen, photographed, and remembered, positioning photography as a critical medium through which the city’s past and present can be re-examined and reimagined.
To get more information about Dubai: Light, Lens, Legacy, please go to the official Instagram account of FN Designs.
In addition, you might be interested in attending Motherhood: An Art and Photography Exhibition and The Gulf Through Time: Dariush Zandi’s Photographic Journey.
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