Until 20 December 2025, Oblong Contemporary Gallery is holding Refracted Life, a poetic, meditative solo exhibition by Dubai-based artist Hussain Jamil. Displaying his latest works, the show explores transformation, memory, and the fluidity of perception.
In this exhibition, Jamil uses metal (sheet, mesh, and mirror-finished surfaces). He subjects them to acts of hammering, shaping, weaving, and burnishing and allows time, environment, and light to intervene. The process itself becomes part of the meaning: dents, folds, burns and asymmetries record the passage of time and the history of each material.
The title Refracted Life evokes how light and experience bend and distort what we see and what we are. In viewing the exhibited artworks, visitors confront distorted reflections, warped surfaces, and shimmering distortions: visual metaphors for the changes we undergo, the memories we carry, and the imperfect beauty of transformation.
The exhibition embraces imperfection, vulnerability, and the subtle traces of time. It invites the audience to reflect (sometimes literally, in mirrors and polished surfaces) on their inner fluxes and life’s constant metamorphoses. In that sense, Refracted Life is an immersive, philosophical meditation on being, becoming, and the fragile, shifting nature of existence.
About the artist
Hussain Jamil (b. 1990) studied traditional miniature painting at the National College of Arts (Lahore, Pakistan), from which he earned a BFA in 2014. Then he obtained an MA in Art & Design in 2018 at the Beaconhouse National University (Lahore).
Over time, Jamil’s practice expanded beyond painting into sculpture, installation, and public art, where he developed a vocabulary centred on reflection, distortion, and crafted imperfection. His work often reinterprets traditional techniques, such as weaving, through contemporary materials like stainless steel and wire mesh, blending cultural memory with modern sensibilities.
Jamil’s artworks have been exhibited at major venues, including the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in Islamabad, and during events such as Dubai Design Week (2024). He has also realised large-scale public installations in iconic Dubai locations, which include Burj Al Arab, One Za’abeel, and Dubai Hills.
Among his accolades are the Engro Juried Art Prize at the Karachi Biennale (2022) and recognition as Artist of the Year 2022. Jamil was also selected as Artist of the Year and featured on the cover page of People Magazine and FHM Magazine. His art pieces are part of the prominent HH Collection.
To get more information about Refracted Life, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
Additionally, you might be interested in visiting Everything Comes to an End, a group exhibition at Foundry Downtown Dubai. We would also recommend that you read our article about several abstract sculptures in Dubai.
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