UAE Art Guide: Explore 15 Must-See Exhibitions, Featuring Rubik’s Cube Portraits and Iraqi Modern Art Legacies
This week marks the launch of Dubai Collection Nights, showcasing a variety of exhibitions, including a significant display of privately held artworks. Notably, the NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery is presenting “All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group,” which highlights a crucial period in Iraq’s artistic history.
Major institutional exhibitions across Dubai and Sharjah are currently assessing artistic practices in the region. These include reflective group exhibitions, landmark solo presentations, and photography-led shows. Below are 15 exhibitions to explore in the UAE.
1. CubixArt at ME Dubai by Melia
Emirati engineer and artist Khalfan Al Marashda presents a solo exhibition that transforms Rubik’s cubes into large-scale portraits. Over 30 mosaic works are crafted from thousands of solved 3x3x3 cubes, arranged to create striking images that intertwine pop culture, heritage, and national identity. The artworks depict figures from Emirati history alongside cultural references, ranging from Arabic and Islamic art to contemporary characters from Freej and Mario. This exhibition invites viewers to consider how structure and color can turn a simple puzzle into a medium for storytelling.
Until March 7, Dubai
2. In Attunement at Al Safa Art & Design Library
Kicking off this year’s Dubai Collection Nights, “In Attunement” unites artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, curated by Jumanah Abbas. The exhibition investigates abstraction and geometry as systems for documenting landscape, memory, and lived experiences. It is divided into two sections: one focusing on how artists index cities through line and composition, and the other emphasizing the use of found objects and materials as archival practices. Featured artists include Hassan Sharif, Samia Halaby, Rana Begum, and Chaouki Choukini.
Until March 8, Dubai
3. Past Through Here at Maraya Art Centre
“Past Through Here” showcases works from the Barjeel Art Foundation’s collection of modern and contemporary Arab art. Curated by students from the American University of Sharjah, under the guidance of Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Barjeel director Suheyla Takesh, the exhibition features paintings, photographs, sculptures, and installations. It explores themes of memory, movement, and transformation, emphasizing how personal and collective histories shape experiences.
Until March 20, Sharjah
4. Home Is Not A Place at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation
Emilie Dubois’s interactive exhibition examines the concept of home as an emotional state rather than a physical location. Centered around an immersive living room installation, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on belonging while living away from their birthplace. Mixed-media works further delve into themes of identity, memory, and migration, resonating with many residents of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE community.
Until March 26, Abu Dhabi
5. Qadera at Fann A Porter
Emerging Egyptian artist Abdelwahab Hawam makes his UAE debut with “Qadera,” presenting new works influenced by his upbringing in El-Mahalla El-Kubra. The exhibition features surreal narrative paintings that place women at the center, using exaggerated forms as symbols of energy and imagination. Hawam, a graduate of Helwan University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, has exhibited widely in Egypt and Lebanon.
Until March 30, Dubai
6. Home, Again at FN Designs
Sahar Ghavami’s exhibition “Home, Again” reflects on themes of love and loss through fantastical, childlike worlds. Drawing on her upbringing in the UAE, the exhibition combines elements of her childhood space with immersive installations. Inspired by the Superflat movement, Ghavami’s work transforms personal memories into shared emotional experiences.
March, Dubai
7. Rays, Ripples, Residue at 421 Arts Campus
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of 421 Arts Campus, “Rays, Ripples, Residue” reflects on artistic practices that have emerged over the past decade. The exhibition features diverse works, including video, performance, and multimedia installations, and engages with the complexities of producing art in the UAE today. Artists such as Munira Al Sayegh and Murtaza Vali contribute to discussions on the evolving landscape of contemporary art.
Until April 26, Abu Dhabi
8. Image Keepers at Photography Gallery
The inaugural exhibition at Sharjah Art Foundation’s new venue in Al Manakh features works by 17 artists and collectives. The photographs, drawn from the foundation’s collection, include studio portraits and multimedia installations. Highlights include Rula Halawani’s The Bride is Beautiful but She is Married to Another Man and Mohammed Kazem’s Window, which documents urban development in the UAE.
Until April 26, Sharjah
9. Hard Like Tears, Soft Like Glass at MiZa
Shamsa Al Omaira’s first solo exhibition, organized by Iris Projects, explores duality through familiar childhood references. The exhibition features sculptural works that incorporate elements of risk, such as ceramic and glass shards, reimagining comfort and security. Al Omaira’s practice has been supported through a mentorship with curator Nadine Khalil.
Until April 30, Abu Dhabi
10. Picasso, The Figure at Louvre Abu Dhabi
“Picasso, The Figure” examines Pablo Picasso’s transformation of human representation in modern art. The exhibition, drawn largely from the collection of the Musée National Picasso–Paris, traces Picasso’s engagement with the figure over seven decades. It is organized around recurring themes that define his treatment of the body, showcasing the evolution of his figures from early Cubist symbols to the urgent forms of his later years.
Until May 31, Abu Dhabi
11. Reflections: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Villain Collection at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation
This exhibition draws from the private collection of Abu Dhabi-based patrons Fairouz and Jean-Paul Villain. Organized into three sections, it features modern and contemporary works from across the Arab world, exploring themes of conflict, displacement, and intimacy through artists like Etel Adnan and Paul Guiragossian.
Until May 31, Abu Dhabi
12. Urdu Worlds at Ishara Art Foundation
“Urdu Worlds” is the UAE’s first contemporary art exhibition dedicated to the Urdu language. Curated by Hammad Nasar, it presents a dialogue between the late Indian-American printmaker Zarina and Pakistani artist Ali Kazim. The exhibition highlights their engagement with language, memory, and abstraction.
Until May 31, Dubai
13. Of Land and Water at Kalba Ice Factory
This exhibition marks the first presentation of works from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection on the east coast of the emirate. Featuring large-scale works by nine international artists, it explores how borders impact the lives of inhabitants and their relationship with land and sea.
Until May 31, Sharjah
14. Spectra of the Beautiful Past at Bait Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qasimi
Located in a heritage house in Kalba, this exhibition features works by prominent Emirati artists, including Abdulrahim Salem and Najat Makki. It evokes nostalgia and appreciation for a bygone era, underscoring the historical significance of its venue.
Until May 31, Sharjah
15. All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
Curated by Nada Shabout, this exhibition delves into the Baghdad Modern Art Group, founded in 1951 by Jewad Selim and Shakir Hassan Al Said. It highlights the group’s artistic significance in mid-20th century Iraq, showcasing how these artists sought a new visual language that balanced global modernism with Iraq’s rich cultural heritage.
Until June 7, Abu Dhabi
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Published on 2026-03-04 12:00:00 • By Editorial Desk
