Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi blends Japanese manga with the culture and scenery of the UAE. Photo: Mestaria Gallery
Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi blends Japanese manga with the culture and scenery of the UAE. Photo: Mestaria Gallery
Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi blends Japanese manga with the culture and scenery of the UAE. Photo: Mestaria Gallery
Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi blends Japanese manga with the culture and scenery of the UAE. Photo: Mestaria Gallery

Culture

Art & Design

Weekly UAE museum and gallery guide: Digital art and Dubai in manga

Also, your last chance to see the work of influential Brazilian artist Antonio Dias

Maan Jalal
Maan Jalal

December 06, 2024

  • English
  • Arabic

From the work of renowned Egyptian artist Adel El Siwi and his new experimentations with colour to Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi’s monochromatic manga-inspired work and a digital immersion based on the literary work of Jules Verne, here are four exhibitions to check out this week.

The Search for an Open Enigma at Sharjah Art Foundation

Heart to Crush (1966) by Brazilian artist Antonio Dias. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation
Heart to Crush (1966) by Brazilian artist Antonio Dias. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation

This is your last chance to see the first solo exhibition in the region of Brazilian artist Antonio Dias's work. Sharjah Art Foundation pays homage to his versatility and his artistic trajectory from the 1960s until the late 1990s.

The exhibition showcases a wide range of his work, in which Dias often explored complex sociopolitical issues across diverse mediums, experimenting with materials.

Saturday to Thursday, 9am-9pm; Friday 4am-9pm; until December 8; Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah

Yellow Tropics at Tabari Art Space

Head of the Princess (2012) by Adel El Siwi. Tabari Artspace is hosting the Egyptian artist's first UAE exhibition in 10 years. Photo: Tabari Artspace
Head of the Princess (2012) by Adel El Siwi. Tabari Artspace is hosting the Egyptian artist's first UAE exhibition in 10 years. Photo: Tabari Artspace

In his first solo exhibition in the UAE in 10 years, the renowned Egyptian artist Adel El Siwi, known for his bold stylised figures with elongated faces, presents recent paintings and earlier pieces.

The paintings collectively present his philosophical concerns. They combine concepts around identity with ancient and historical influences, as well as a shift in his perspective and experimentations with colour after his first visit to South Africa.

Monday to Friday, 10am-6pm; until January 14; Tabari Artspace, Dubai

Adventure in Time at TODA

Jules Verne's novels come to life through an immersive digital experience. Photo: TODA
Jules Verne's novels come to life through an immersive digital experience. Photo: TODA

Based on the stories of the French novelist, playwright and poet Jules Verne, this digital experience fuses classic storytelling and modern technology.

Verne’s well-known novels such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days are the basis of the show, suitable for the whole family, which uses imagery, story and music to create an immersive, sensory experience.

Daily, 11am-11pm; until December 31; TODA, Dubai

Luffy x Lutfi: Emirati Manga at Mestaria Gallery

Abdulla Lutfi's work is a fusion of Japanese manga and Emirati culture. Photo: Mestaria Gallery
Abdulla Lutfi's work is a fusion of Japanese manga and Emirati culture. Photo: Mestaria Gallery

Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi is well known for blending Japanese manga with Emirati culture. The artist reimagines characters from well-known mangas, and specifically for this exhibition the popular Japanese series One Piece, in traditional Emirati attire, set against Dubai’s skyline.

With his strong storytelling, monochromatic style and fun, pop art-influenced subject matter, Lutfi's work offers a unique perspective on Emirati culture and heritage that is accessible to a wide audience.

Daily, 10am-7pm; until 2 January; Mestaria Gallery, Dubai

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Updated: December 06, 2024, 2:55 AM
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