XVA Gallery in Dubai is currently holding Symphony of the Wetlands, a solo exhibition by Dubai-based artist and printmaker Solimar Miller. The show displays her latest art pieces dedicated to mangroves, highlighting their crucial role in sustaining wildlife, protecting coastlines, and maintaining nature’s fragile balance. The exhibition will remain open until 20 March 2025.
Miller’s art invites viewers into the mesmerising world of mangroves: vital coastal forests that thrive across the globe, with a special emphasis on the ecosystems of Southwestern Asia. Her artworks on view capture the serene corridors of grey and white mangroves, where birds, fish, crustaceans, and mammals flourish within the rhythmic embrace of the tides, finding sanctuary from the blazing sun.
These saltwater forests serve as natural guardians, stabilising shifting sands, shielding shorelines from erosion, and fostering biodiversity. Through her evocative art pieces, Miller orchestrates a visual symphony that underscores the urgency of conservation and aims to inspire reflection and action to protect these extraordinary ecosystems.
About the artist
Solimar Miller (b. 1969, San Juan, Puerto Rico) earned a BFA in Textile/Surface Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, the USA) and studied illustration at Parsons School of Design (New York).
Miller’s work explores the natural world and pressing ecological concerns. She documents the distinctive traits of indigenous trees and plants threatened by urban expansion, droughts, floods, wildfires, and climate change. Her paintings and hand-silkscreened pieces incorporate diverse techniques and sustainable materials, including upcycled textiles, which she hand-dyes using bark, branches, and leaves from native trees.
Miller’s creations have been displayed in various shows and art events, such as Perspectives (Capital Club Dubai, 2024); an exhibition with Iris Projects for Architectural Digest x Jubail Island (Abu Dhabi); Witnessing Us (solo) (XVA Art Gallery, Dubai, 2023); and Sikka Art Festival (2023 and 2022). In 2023, Miller was commissioned by Jameel Arts Center to produce twelve artworks for the Tarabot pavilion.
Beyond her fine art practice, Miller is an accomplished designer, who has created custom carpets for the Four Seasons Resort Dubai (Jumeirah Beach) and textiles for Fendi, Stark Carpet, and other luxury brands.
Her work has earned widespread recognition, including two nominations for The Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (2022 and 2023) and a shortlist selection for The Art Circle Award (2024).
To get more information about Symphony of the Wetlands, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
Additionally, you might be interested in viewing Samur by Chinese artist Zheng Bo.
