Abu Dhabi Art 2025: Six artists to watch out for
Six faces to watch out for
Abu Dhabi Art 2025 is back for a 17th edition and will be taking over Abu Dhabi’s hub of culture and creativity, Manarat Al Sadiyat, from 19 to 23 November.
Visitors can expect to explore the very best of art at over 140 galleries from 37 countries, all in the heart of the capital. More than just a spotlight for local voices, Abu Dhabi Art is a stage, where international talent shares space with regional heavyweights for a global celebration of experiencing art in all the different ways - see, feel and think deeply.
Zeina Abdullah
Egyptian artist Zeina Abdullah’s second home is the UAE, where she was born and raised. Her primary medium is Ceramics, exploring themes of loss, memory, trauma, healing, her identity of womanhood and cultural connections - deeply influenced by the rich historical and cultural context of the UAE. She is being presented by RARARES - derived from the Latin word ‘rarus’, which signifies rarity - a gallery committed to showcasing the extraordinary.
Sarah Almehairi
Emirati creative Sara Almehairi was born and bred in the capital, where she currently lives and works. A graduate from New York University Abu Dhabi, Almehairi’s body of work encompasses themes of materiality, systems, interrelations, memory, and language, housed in geometric shapes, lines and layers. Her series ‘Off Centre’ is represented by Carbon12, an internationally active gallery highlighting established and emerging Contemporary artists in the UAE.
Samuel Fosso
Cameroonian-Nigerian photographer Samuel Fosso uses his keen eye to examine African archetypal figures and histories through self-portraits - a colourful mix of personas that represent self-empowerment through costume and impersonation. Operating since the early 1970s, his work has been on display around the world, including the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Tate Modern, London; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and more. He is part of ‘Visions of the Past, Memoirs of the Future’, a presentation by Efie Gallery - a Contemporary space specialising in spotlighting artists of African origin, both from the continent and its global diaspora.
Sam Francis
Sam Francis was born and passed in California, but his work took him across Tokyo, Mexico, New York and Paris. His move to the French capital in the 1950s led him to Monet’s Waterlilies, a driving influence in his own future work. His work evolved from monochromatic to rich murals to his iconic ‘open’ paintings - vivid splashes of colour on expanses of white. He is presented by Open Gallery, established in 1994 by Gilles Dyan and renowned as an international hub for Modern, Post-War, and Contemporary art, spanning sixteen gallery spaces across New York, Miami, Aspen, London, Paris, Madrid, Monaco, Geneva, Dubai, Beirut, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Seoul.
Richard Hudson
A prominent face in British Sculpture art, Richard Hudson’s work stands apart by the use of polished mirror steel, bronze and marble, creating sleek, fluid and sensual shapes - ranging from tabletop pieces to life-size installations. At its core, his work reflects the relationship between humans and nature, inspired by his time on his family’s farm. His representing gallery, JD Malat, specialises in a diverse range of media, from sculpture to paintings, and is based out of London, showcasing 17 underrated Contemporary art voices from around the globe. This year, they bring ‘Luminescence’.
Fatma Lootah
Born and raised in Dubai, Fatma Lootah’s pursuit of art took her to Baghdad, Washington DC and Verona, where she now lives. She is recognised as one of the foremost cultural ambassadors of the UAE on a global stage - her studio, House 35, in the historic Al Fahidi neighbourhood, was generously gifted to her by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum after he attended one of her solo exhibitions. Her illustrious career spans Performance art, with a focus on the Abstract, and the lanes of Italy, France, the UAE, Austria, Morocco, and the USA. She is being presented by Khawla Art Gallery, a local celebration of Contemporary art located in the heart of Abu Dhabi.
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Deeply passionate about art, food, culture and community, Manaal loves telling extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Besides sniffing out a tale to tell, her favourite things to do include binging true crime documentaries, chasing cats on the streets and curating a good outfit.
