The UAE’s arts and culture scene continues to flourish – and that’s thanks in no small part to a talented contingent of artistic women.
Be it on canvass or screen, via installation or sculpture, there’s a platform for everyone to express themselves.
Here are nine Emirates-based and Emirates-inspired artists to follow.
For more art and culture in the UAE click here, and for more inspiration women in the UAE click here.
Dami Sami
Instagram has emerged as a real platform from which up-and-coming artists can make their mark. Among the current cohort to have gained traction is Dami Sami, who having been raised between Dubai and New York, is inspired by both global cities. Her illustrations have found themselves on billboards across Dubai, and when not creating she runs design company Seven Minutes.
@creativebeingdina
Darah Ghanem
Photographer, journalist, multi-disciplinary artist; Darah Ghanem boasts many a string to her creative bow. Primarily honed in on long-term projects that investigate under-documented historical moments through family archives and personal narratives, her work ‘Common Threads’ was the focus of Gulf Photo Plus X Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development’s exhibition in Dubai in 2020.
www.darahghanem.com
Ebtisam AbdulAziz
Science and mathematics may on the face of things be at odds with the arts, but they are the foundation for the work of Ebtisam AbdulAziz. The artist incorporates her unique perspective on the structures of systems to explore issues of identity and culture through installations and performance pieces.
www.artistebtisamaziz.com
Fatima Al-Budoor
Connections between friends and family are in the frame for Fatima Al-Budoor, who specialises in photography and printmaking. Her work spans across fabric and paper prints, handmade artist books, and a recent focus on textiles. She has a rich collection of exhibitions under her belt, having had her work displayed at DIFC Art Nights, Art Dubai and Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi.
www.fatimaalbudoor.com
Hessa Al-Ajmani
The marriage of interactions between the natural world and human psychology provide inspiration for Hessa Al-Ajmani, who has made her name with a flair for the floral. The canvass for her flower and plant imprints are ceramics, animating plates and bringing sharp life to pottery with paint and glaze.
www.hessaalajmani.com
Maitha Abdalla
Maitha Abdalla is co-founder of artist-run studio and exhibition space BAIT 15. Her work oscillates between the diaphanous, vibrant and surreal, and is always marked by an atmosphere of reminiscence and nostalgia.
www.bait15.com/maitha-abdalla
Maisoon Al Saleh
Maisoon Al Saleh’s pieces strive to tell stories that transcend age and gender – through skull and bone. In each painting, skeletal compositions reveal stories from Emirati life, culture and history, asserting new meaning that undermines bones’ symbolic association with death and poison.
www.maisoonalsaleh.com
Sarah Al Agroobi
Having studied at the Royal College of Art in London, and after living in both Belgium and Italy during her studies, Sarah Al Agroobi draws on her lived experience to explore notions of culture and identity through her multidisciplinary projects. In 2020 she enjoyed residencies at both Sharjah Art Foundation studios and Warehouse421, while in 2016 she was named the Global Women’s Forum Rising Talent.
www.sarahalagroobi.com
Saman Sadlik
Another talent to have emerged from the Insta scene is Saman Sadik, who populates her feed with illustrations driven by Dubai’s growing status as a fashion capital. Her sketches have earned her credits with Dior Joaillerie, L’Occitane En Provence and Aqua Di Parma.
@samarsadikdesigns
