Ten must-see pieces at Abu Dhabi Art 2024

Highlights examine themes around existentialism, war and freedom

Abu Dhabi Art runs at Manarat Al Saadiyat until Sunday. Victor Besa / The National

Abu Dhabi Art 2024 is in full swing, bringing collections from more than 100 galleries from across the region and the world.

Running at Manarat Al Saadiyat until Sunday, the fair showcases a diverse set of works from emerging and established artists as well as important figures in the Arab art world.

From hyper-surrealist sculptures to orientalist portraits and dramatic wall tapestries, here are The National’s 10 must-see works at this year’s fair.

Hannon au pays de la soif (Hannon in the Land of Thirst) by Louis Barthelemy, Bousnina Gallery (2024)

Louis Barthelemy's piece is a vibrant wall tapestry at Bousnina Gallery. Maan Jalal / The National

Created by the artist in partnership with the Tili Tanit workshop in Mahdia, Tunisia, this richly textured wall tapestry depicts a vivid scene full of art historical references.

Using materials such as camel wool, plastic, bronze thread and traditional embroidery the viewer is confronted with a tragic scene of sub-Saharan migrants crossing the desert. From migrants marching across the plains, some collapsing and others barely able to walk, to a dead lion placed in the focal point of the composition and military drones capturing the scene, French artist Louis Barthelemy was interested in exploring themes of migration, survival, and disillusionment that directly contrast the idealised and romantic notions of the sub-Saharan desert.

Aside from the vivid scene, dramatic composition and wonderful use of colours, the work also combines Tunisia’s textile heritage with powerful contemporary themes.

Jerusalem by Nabil Anani, Zaweyah Gallery (2024)

Palestinian artist Nabil Alani depicts an idealised notion of his homeland. Photo: Zaweyah Gallery

Nabil Anani was a founder of the contemporary Palestinian art movement where his work with the subject of the Palestinian landscape is always depicted free of disruptions, borders and settlements.

His work Jerusalem is exemplary, which depicts this idealised notion of his homeland, a vision for a peaceful and harmonious future. This utopian view of Jerusalem is painted with a blend of memory and imagination where the city is free of the realities of the occupation. Anani’s use of flat spaces, a brighter colour palate and different textures gives the work a vibrant energy bursting with life.

Chipped Grain by Jeremy Fung, SC Gallery (2020)

Chipped by Jeffery Fung is a work that uses oil paint and wood cutting techniques. Photo: SC Gallery

A piece that is both bold and filled with detail, Hong Kong artist Jeremy Fung’s work has a powerful presence.

The painted and woodcut technique depicts various symbols representing emotions, experiences or states of existence. The work consists of several layers of wood, which allows for different textures and marks he’s made on the material to come through contrasted against the other smoother areas. This relationship, as well as with Fung’s painterly markings, reveals his fluid hand and his spontaneous creative process.

His intuitive approach isn’t only part of the process of art making but is also connected to the themes Fung is working with such as existentialism and the soul’s relationship with the world.

Portrait of an Egyptian Girl by Franz Xaver Kosler, Ary Jan Gallery (1890s)

Portrait of an Egyptian Girl is an exemplary piece that shows the artist's mastery of light and colour. Photo: Ary Jan Gallery

Franz Xaver Kosler was an Austrian painter known for his Orientalist portraits and genre scenes, which he painted in Egypt and the Balkans.

His portraits were often painted in soft tones and intimate compositions. In this small portrait, the face of a young Egyptian woman is contrasted against a neutral background allowing the viewer to observe the beautiful details of her expression and dress revealing Kosler’s masterful hand and his ability to render not only colour and light but the spirit of his sitter.

Transporters 2024 by Ertugrul Gungor and Faruk Ertekin, Anna Laudel Gallery (2024)

The ceramic work is about cultural exchange. Photo: Anna Laudel Gallery

Transporters 2024, a piece that was specially made for Abu Dhabi Art, is both playful and powerful.

The ceramic glazed painting, which includes 18-karat gold details, depicts the vast desert’s red sands where a group of fawns or young deer carry a colossal Iznik vase. The blue and white colour palate is a link back to the history of ceramics and particularly the ancient trade routes between East and West.

The Iznik vase is painted in a floral pattern, a stark contrast to the red dunes in the background, and acts as a symbol of a major theme of the work – cultural exchange.

Net-Grid (Red Emma) by Mandy El-Sayegh, Lawrie Shabibi Gallery (2024)

Mandy El-Sayegh's Net-Grid (Red Emma) is part of a series on show at Abu Dhabi Art. Photo: Lawrie Shabibi Gallery

Part of Chinese-Palestinian artist Mandy El-Sayegh’s Net-Grid series, these works overlay silkscreen prints, personal memorabilia, found objects and linguistic elements with hand-painted grids.

The work is mesmerising, with the viewer discovering layer upon layer of material and meaning with the painted grids that hold the composition together turns the piece into a while but also emphasises the concept of fragility and incompleteness.

The series continues El-Sayegh’s interest and examination of how social, cultural and political conventions are formed and deconstructed in the contemporary world.

Woman Among Deer and Doves by Aly Ben Salem, El Marsa Gallery (1950s)

Aly Ben Salem was a pioneering painter and a key figure in modern Tunisian art. Photo: El Marsa Gallery

El Marsa gallery’s booth at the fair is dedicated to the work of the pioneering Tunisian painter Aly Ben Salem. This piece, Woman Among Deer and Doves, displays his unique style that was influenced by traditional Tunisian craft, Persian miniatures and Fauvism.

Meticulously rendered, with stunning detail, a profound use of colour and lively compositions this work is feminine, bold, symbolic and imaginative.

Daughter of Abd-el Rassoul by Mohammed Naghi, Arab Presences exhibition (1939)

Daughter of Abd-el Rassoul is part of the Farjam Collection on display at Abu Dhabi Art. Maan Jalal / The National

From the influential Egyptian artist and cultural figure Mohammed Naghi comes this stunning portrait of a woman simply known as the Daughter of Abd-el Rassoul. Part of the Arab Presences: Modern Art and Decolonisation, Paris 1908-1988 – Farjam Collection Close-Up exhibition at the fair, this work is accompanied by up to 50 artworks from the Farjam Collection, including works by modern masters and pioneers.

Naghi was a prominent member of Al-Ruwwad, the first generation of Egyptian modern artists, and played a key role in shaping Egypt's art scene and cultural institutions. While he was influenced by a number of European art movements such as impressionism, Fauvism and cubism, his work was also a celebration of Egyptian cultural heritage and incorporated themes from ancient Egyptian iconography.

Bu-Darya: A Ripple from 1991 by Jasem Alsanea, Gallery Bawa (2024)

Kuwait artist Jasem Alsanea's sculpture fuses myth and economy. Victor Besa / The National

In this hyper-surrealist sculpture, Kuwaiti artist Jasem Alsanea creates a work that draws from the Khaleeji myth of Bu-Daryah, a half-human half-amphibian creature who preyed on sailors, and his country’s history in pearl diving and the modern oil economy.

With oil oozing out of Bu-Daryah's mouth, the work fuses the myth with the environmental impact and concerns of the oil economy and the 1991 invasion of Iraq into Kuwait, to present concepts and themes around the environment and the effects of war.

Balah by Marawa Najjar, Wadi Finan Art Gallery (2024)

Balah by Marawa Najjar is an ode to palm trees of the Arab world. Photo: Wadi Finan Art Gallery

Jordanian artist Marawa Najjar’s painting of a man, perhaps a date farmer, walking through palm trees is an evocative scene of rural life. Her expressive brushstrokes and thick application of paint depict a scene full of light and the slow rhythmic energy of country life in warm weather.

Through the depiction of palm tree farms of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in the Gulf, the work acts as an exploration of the human experience, celebration and homage to the rich heritage of the region.

She is influenced by the works of the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and Byzantine iconography of the 15th and 16th centuries, all of which can be seen in her use of gold and silver leaf, particularly on the dates the figure carries.

Abu Dhabi Art runs at Manarat Al Saadiyat until Sunday