Art Dubai may have concluded, but the local scene is maintaining the momentum.
A Christie’s exhibition of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern masterpieces and a solo exhibition by Egyptian artist Huda Lutfi are among the highlights in the city. There is also lots to see in other emirates, including a solo show by Saudi artist Abdullah Al Othman and a presentation at the Sharjah Biennial that is in the running for the Turner Prize.
Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at Christie's
The Christie’s auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art has returned with an all-star selection.
The sale is a potent representation of the diverse practices shaping the region's contemporary art. There are works that represent Nadia Saikali’s gestural abstraction, the kaleidoscopic dynamism of Samia Halaby, the rippling portraits of Marwan, the calligraphic experimentations of Mohamed Melehi, Malika Agueznay and Dia Azzawi, as well as paintings by Helen Khal that show her figurative beginnings, and the ethereal canvases she is particularly known for.
Other notable figures featured in the auction include Inji Efflatoun, Kamal Boullata, Etel Adnan, Aref El Rayess, Laila Shawa, Paul Guiragossian, Nabil Anani, Fateh Moudarres and Yvette Achkar.
Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday and Sunday, 12pm-5pm; until May 8, Christie’s Dubai
Unraveling: Huda Lutfi at The Third Line
Lutfi is known for her cross-disciplinary practice that draws from historical research as well as feminist critique.
Her fourth solo exhibition at The Third Line brings together works from three recent series. These include When Dreams Call for Silence (2019), which presents human figures in surreal domestic scenes. In Our Black Thread (2020–2021), Lutfi explores how creating is an act of healing. The series began as Lutfi casually wove threads from used teabags and car filters. The minimalist compositions, with their restrained monochromatic palette, “amplify the introspective meditation that fuelled their making”, the exhibition guide states, “but also evoke the historical association of craftsmanship as feminine labour and its complex relationship to art”.
This approach is sustained in her continuing series Healing Devices, which feature organic and geometric paper cutouts set against gold and silver backdrops. The series draws from the illustrations in The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, a 1206 work by the Arab polymath Ismail Al-Jazari.
Monday to Sunday, 11am-7pm; until May 27, The Third Line, Dubai
Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales, and Earth Remembers Everything at Sharjah Biennial
This presentation from the 2025 Sharjah Biennial has been nominated for the Turner Prize. The work was created by Korean-Canadian artist Zadie Xa, in collaboration with Spanish artist Benito Mayor Vallejo.
It features several disparate elements, which take cues from Korean shamanic traditions. These include paintings and a chandelier-like piece comprising more than 1,000 brass bells arranged in the shape of a conch shell.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am-9pm; Friday 4pm-9pm; until June 15; Al Hamriyah Studios, Sharjah
Abdullah Al Othman: Structural Syntax at Iris Projects
Al Othman’s work is greatly informed by the visual language of the region’s cities. The Saudi artist is known to wander around Riyadh, collecting materials and images from its architecture and linguistic history that he then incorporates into his work.
Structural Syntax is his first solo show in the UAE. The exhibition is designed to steep visitors in Al Othman’s unique perception of urban landscapes and prompt questions about the way we navigate our surroundings.
Works include Anticipation, which makes use of neon lights, a material with which Al Othman has become synonymous. His Untitled (Coca Cola) playfully appropriates the brand in an installation featuring a sign in Arabic, industrial materials, metal and paint.
Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm; until June 27; Iris Projects, Abu Dhabi
