At a moment when the cultural landscape of the UAE continues to evolve with remarkable speed and confidence, The Emirati Scene, an exhibition at the Iyad Qanazea Gallery, offers a timely reflection on the country’s artistic identity. On display until 25 May 2026, the show features a selection of Emirati artists whose practices span generations, mediums, and conceptual approaches. The exhibition highlights how artists engage with memory, landscape, materiality, and civic imagination in deeply personal yet collectively resonant ways.
The Emirati Scene gathers works by Mahra Al Falahi, Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Azza Al Qubaisi, Cristiana De Marchi, Mohammed Kazem, and Najat Makki. Together, these artists represent different generations of practitioners who have shaped, challenged, and expanded the visual culture of the Emirates over the past decades. The exhibition moves fluidly between painting, sculpture, conceptual work, and mixed-media installations, emphasising the richness and diversity of artistic production in the country today.
Among the participating artists, Mohammed Al Mazrouei occupies a particularly important position within the history of Emirati culture. Recognised not only as a visual artist but also as a poet and intellectual figure, Al Mazrouei belongs to the trailblazing generation that helped establish a contemporary artistic language in the UAE. In his practice, he often reflects on identity, belonging, and the transformation of Emirati society across time. In The Emirati Scene, his contribution serves as an anchor that connects the exhibition to earlier cultural movements in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
The exhibition also highlights the work of Najat Makki, one of the UAE’s most celebrated painters, who is the first Emirati woman to earn a PhD in Art. Her vibrant abstract compositions, often inspired by landscape, light, and memory, have played a foundational role in shaping the country’s modern art scene. Makki’s paintings are known for their luminous colour palettes and emotional intensity, qualities that continue to resonate with younger generations of artists. Her presence in the exhibition reinforces the importance of artistic continuity while also emphasising the lasting influence of women artists within the Gulf region.
Equally significant is Mohammed Kazem, whose conceptual practice has earned international recognition through exhibitions at institutions and biennials worldwide, which include the Venice Biennale. Kazem’s work investigates systems of geography, movement, sound, and data, translating invisible structures into poetic visual experiences. His practice reflects the UAE’s position as a site of constant transition and global exchange, while also exploring the emotional dimensions of navigation and displacement. Within the context of The Emirati Scene, his art introduces a conceptual and technological layer that expands the exhibition beyond traditional representations of identity or heritage.
The sculptural and design-oriented work of Azza Al Qubaisi introduces another dimension to the exhibition. One of the UAE’s pioneering jewellery and metal artists, Al Qubaisi often incorporates references to local architecture, desert landscapes, and cultural motifs into her practice. Her creations bridge art, craft, and design; they challenge rigid distinctions between disciplines while celebrating the tactile and material qualities of traditional Emirati culture. Through intricate forms and carefully considered materials, she transforms familiar visual references into contemporary sculptural expressions.
Younger voices within the show contribute new perspectives shaped by globalisation, memory, and interdisciplinary experimentation. Mahra Al Falahi works across sculpture, textiles, and installation. Her practice engages with childhood memories, surreal imagery, and emotional landscapes, resulting in art pieces that blur the boundaries between reality and imagination.
Cristiana De Marchi’s participation further broadens the exhibition’s dialogue around identity and belonging. This Italian-Lebanese artist has long resided in the UAE, and her practice explores migration, memory, and personal archives. Her inclusion reflects the layered and multicultural realities of the Emirates, where notions of nationality and cultural identity remain fluid and interconnected. Through delicate material interventions and conceptual gestures, De Marchi examines how personal histories intersect with larger social and political narratives.
What distinguishes The Emirati Scene is its refusal to reduce Emirati art to a singular aesthetic or thematic framework. Instead, the exhibition presents the UAE as a complex cultural space shaped by multiple histories, experiences, and artistic vocabularies. Some works engage directly with questions of heritage and memory, while others look toward abstraction, conceptual systems, or experimental materials. Together, they demonstrate the Emirati identity’s openness and multiplicity.
In recent years, the UAE has increasingly positioned itself as a major cultural hub within the region, supported by institutions, biennials, residencies, and galleries that continue to nurture artistic production. The Emirati Scene reflects this broader momentum while remaining grounded in the lived experiences of artists connected to the country. The show foregrounds individual voices and personal artistic languages, allowing viewers to encounter the Emirati art scene as something dynamic, evolving, and deeply human.
About the Iyad Qanazea Gallery
This independent contemporary art gallery in Abu Dhabi was founded by Palestinian collector and patron Iyad Qanazea. Located in the Al Zahiyah district, the gallery supports artists from the UAE, the Arab world, and the wider Global South through exhibitions that explore identity, memory, migration, and cultural transformation. The gallery is known for its intergenerational approach, bringing together established figures and emerging contemporary artists working across painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and conceptual art.
To learn more about The Emirati Scene, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
You might also be interested in attending Fellow Travellers at Tabari Artspace and Observers of Change: Art from the UAE (1971–2025).
