Hassan Sharif, sometimes affectionately known as the grandfather of UAE contemporary art and certainly one of the most famous Emirati artists, has died at the age of 65. He was suffering from cancer.
Tributes poured in over social media last night and he was buried this morning in Dubai.
He was truly a pioneer and dedicated his whole life to conceptual art in the UAE. He was a legend and his legacy will live on. I interviewed him in his Al Barsha studio last March and it was a pleasure to be in his company. His studio was overflowing with art work but it was a struggle to find a chair. He sat and talked to me for an hour but all the time his hands were busy; I think he was constantly making art, whether physically or just in his mind.
He was kind, eccentric and bold. I feel privileged to have been lucky enough to meet him and witness the effect that his art had on his immediate contemporaries. RIP Hassan, you will be greatly missed.
