Art Dubai returns to Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah from April 18 to 20.
Showcasing over 100 galleries from more than 50 cities across the world, the exhibition will include pieces from various disciplines such as its Contemporary, Bawwaba, Modern, and Digital sections. With this edition the art showcase continues its mission to spotlight artists from underrepresented regions, with over 20 first-time participants and strong representation from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Art Dubai re-affirms its position as a leading international art fair in the region, and in the wider art world.
Categories Exhibiting at Art Dubai
• Contemporary: Featuring 70 galleries from five continents, this section emphasizes cutting-edge global art, particularly from less-explored geographies.
• Bawwaba: Curated by Mirjam Varadinis, this section presents solo shows exploring themes of displacement and new modes of coexistence, with notable presentations by Kate Newby, Gulnur Mukazhanova, and Tomás Saraceno.
• Modern: Celebrating 20th-century regional masters, this section highlights artists who have shaped today’s cultural landscape.
• Digital: Now in its fourth year, this section explores the intersection of technology and art—AI, VR, robotics—through new commissions, talks, and workshops, examining critical global issues.
Saudi Artists Showcasing This Year
Maryam Tariq – Hafez Gallery
Maryam Tariq, born and raised in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, studied visual and digital production at Effat University in Jeddah, where she now lives and works as a light and 3D mapping artist. Her surreal, spiritually driven work explores sacred geometry and the underlying principles of nature. In 2020, she debuted The Golden Ratio, and has since created immersive visual experiences for music festivals and concerts alongside DJs and producers. Her first solo exhibition, Remembering the Future (2021), took place at Hafez Gallery, followed by her inclusion in Re-appearing Imaginaries (2022) at Misk Art in Riyadh.
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Abdullah Al Othman – Iris Projects
Abdullah Al Othman is a conceptual artist and researcher from Riyadh whose work merges traditional Saudi motifs with Western cultural influences. His practice draws on history, architecture, anthropology, and sociology to examine the relationship between humans and their environments—natural and man-made. His work is grounded in storytelling, often creating seemingly realistic scenarios that blur the line between fact and fiction. He frequently works with materials such as neon, chrome, and stainless steel to emulate natural phenomena or comment on modernity and design. Light is both a physical medium and conceptual symbol in his installations.
Maha Malluh – Galerie Krinzinger
Riyadh-based artist Maha Malluh is known for transforming familiar, often obsolete objects into powerful reflections on globalization, heritage, and consumerism. Her work begins with tactile intimacy and memory, then explores how meaning shifts through time, use, and disuse. Malluh has exhibited at major venues including the Venice Biennale, Saatchi Gallery, Art Basel Miami, and Institut du Monde Arabe. Her work is part of key collections including Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, MAK, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and the British Museum. She has also been a recurring artist with Galerie Krinzinger since 2012.
Dana Awartani – Sfeir-Semler & Chemould Prescott Road Gallery
Dana Awartani is a Saudi-Palestinian artist based between Jeddah and New York. Her multidisciplinary practice explores cultural preservation, identity, and traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. She has had solo exhibitions at Samstag Museum (Australia), Maraya Art Centre (Sharjah), and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Group exhibitions include Venice Biennale (2024), Sharjah Biennale, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Lyon Biennale, Desert X Al-Ula, Diriyah Biennale, and British Museum. Awartani was shortlisted for the High Line Plinth Commission (2024), Richard Mille Prize (2022), and received Saudi Arabia’s National Cultural Award (2021). She has participated in residencies at Sacatar (Brazil), NTU Singapore, and Delfina Foundation (London).
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Manal AlDowayan – Sabrina Amrani
Manal AlDowayan is a leading Saudi artist based between Dhahran and Dubai. Her practice spans photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory installations, often addressing gender norms, memory, and cultural change. Her early I Am series portrayed professional Saudi women, while works like Suspended Together and Esmi – My Name gave voice to women through collaborative art. AlDowayan’s research-driven pieces blend the personal and political, reflecting on the complexities of modern Saudi society. Her work has been shown at the Venice Biennale, Gwangju Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Mathaf, and is part of collections at LACMA, British Museum, and Louisiana Museum. She was awarded a NYUAD fellowship and joined the Robert Rauschenberg Residency in 2015.
Ahmed Mater – Athr Gallery
Ahmed Mater is a physician-turned-artist whose multidisciplinary work reflects on social reform, cultural history, and spiritual symbolism in Saudi Arabia. Early works featured X-ray images in his Illuminations series, and later projects document rapid urban development and shifting societal narratives. Mater’s work combines political engagement with expressive aesthetics, forming complex visual mappings of the Kingdom. He has held solo shows at Galleria Continua, Brooklyn Museum, and Art Basel Miami, and participated in Biennale d’Architecture d’Orléans and Tropenmuseum Amsterdam. His work is in the collections of Centre Pompidou, the British Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and Zayed National Museum. His publications include Desert of Pharan and Prognosis/Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Alfaraj – Athar Gallery
Multidisciplinary artist Mohammad Alfaraj is based in Al Hasa, Saudi Arabia, and works across film, installation, writing, sculpture, and photography. Deeply connected to his local landscape, he incorporates natural materials like soil, palm fronds, and dates into his work, reflecting on the mutual dependence between people and the environment. His practice also draws from local workers’ stories and traditional games, creating poetic works grounded in place and hope. He has exhibited at Al Moftaha Village (Abha), Alserkal (Dubai), and 21,39 Jeddah Arts. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from King Fahad University and won the student category at the Saudi Film Festival (2015). He completed The Oasis Reborn residency in AlUla in 2022.
Art Dubai, from April 18 - 20 with previews on April 16 & 17
Madinat Jumeirah, Mina a'Salam, Al Sufouh 1, Dubai
Book your tickets here
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