Art Dubai 2017: Gallery focus, Aicon Gallery

Anila Quayyum AghaALHAMBRA NIGHTS (INSTALLATION)2016Printed acrylic and bulbs30 x 27 x 30 in. (x9)

Don’t miss the work of Anila Quayyum Agha at Aicon Gallery this year. The whole booth is an impressive array of South Asian art but in my opinion, Agha is the star of the show. Her sculptural works - hanging, triangular lanterns that cast mesmerising shadows along the walls - are placed next to some of her works on paper. For these, she has used laser cutters to create distinct patterns in blue and red and then decorates the final product with beads and thread, showing the difference between handcraft and machinery. The pieces come from her recent exhibition Walking with My Mother’s Shadow, which reflects on her many different spiritual influences as well as the complexities of love, loss and gains; experienced by her over the past year. They are really beautiful and worth a visit.

Other artists in the booth include Rasheed Araeen, whose brightly coloured rigid pieces always attract the crowds. He creates formal, geometric sculptures often created from simple, sometimes industrial materials.

* Aicon Gallery is located in Booth C17, Hall 1