Meet Maryam Al Falasi, one of the UAE’s youngest art patrons
The UAE art world is filled with impressive figures. But few are as inspiring as Maryam Al Falasi
At the age of just 26, she has already founded her own gallery, Iris Projects in Abu Dhabi, and established herself as one of the UAE’s youngest art patrons, an active art collector and advisor.
One of only two Emirati gallerists in the country, she has added more than 200 art collectors to the UAE’s creative ecosystem and represented an exciting roster of GCC artists since 2020.
Raised by a family that prioritises music, reading, culture and all art forms, she explained that she always believed she had the potential to do great things.
“Growing up, I was fascinated with Alexander the Great, who conquered half the world before he turned 30. So, I’ve always thought that if he could do that, the least I can do is try and achieve one percent of what he did in the same time frame,” she said.
“Here in the UAE, we have so many opportunities to contribute to the country. You just need to work hard and you will achieve your goals.”
In the year 2000, the Dubai-born creative started her career as an advisor to art collectors. However, she soon realised that many local artists desperately needed representation, too.
“I kept meeting artists who felt under-represented. I found my calling early on when,” she remembered.
"So, in 2024 I opened Iris Projects. It’s the first commercial gallery in the up-and-coming district of MiZa by Mina Zayed Port, and we’re the first to focus on regional voices, too."
The gallery currently represents nine artists from across the GCC and provides them with personalised mentorship programmes and ongoing support.
“We pair each artist with a mentor who matches their needs, whether it be a critic, curator or another artist,” she continued.
“After all, for local voices to stand alongside international artists, we need to invest in them. We’ve so far mentored four individuals and we’ve seen it make an amazing difference to both their work and the way that they understand themselves.”
One of these artists is Shamsa Al Omaira. Her exhibition Hard Like Tears, Soft Like Glass is on display at the gallery until April 30.
Dubai-based artist Alyazia Al Nahyan is another who is represented by Iris Projects.
“I discovered Alyazia at her college graduation exhibition,” recalled Al Falasi.
“Today, she's in a lot of big private collections in the UAE, and we're also in talks about acquisitions from international museums. This doesn't come from doing nothing. It comes from supporting and empowering the talents we have in the region.”
Along with regularly adding to her own art collection, Al Falasi works to nurture the UAE’s art collecting sphere, and provide a welcoming place where people can buy art and discover new artists.
“I think some people get intimidated by larger galleries,” she declared.
"With Iris Projects, I wanted to create a space where people could not only add to their own collections but also learn about regional art. I believe that Abu Dhabi is truly is a cultural capital and, with the Guggenheim about to open and Frieze Abu Dhabi on the way, I think we are about to enter a very exciting period of change.”
Along with working at the gallery, she spends her time developing an archive about the history of the UAE that was started by her grandfather.
“In the 1950s, my grandfather was one of the early founders of theatre and culture in the UAE,” she said.
“He died when I was 13 and I still miss him a lot. After he passed, I discovered that his library was filled with important documents and pictures and so I decided to try and make them available to the public. It’s an ongoing project and I often find myself working on it late into the night. You can view it digitally online through New York University Abu Dhabi, and I'm currently in the process of writing a biography about my grandfather as well.”
Al Falasi loans items from the archive to different initiatives. In 2018, she became the youngest loaner to Abu Dhabi’s Qasr Al Hosn museum and she also contributed items to the UAE pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai.
She concluded: “It contains Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s passports and documents from the final meeting before the country’s unification. Every piece tells a story, and I believe we can learn so much from it.”
Visit: irisprojects.online
