Behind every exhibition and fair booth is an artist with their own story, and those stories are a lot of why we do this. This page is a running collection of the Emirati, Saudi and wider Arab artists — with a particular focus on women artists — whose work and words we've featured, in interviews, studio profiles and exhibition coverage.
Some are established names showing at major institutions; others are early in their careers, using residencies and open calls to find a first audience. What connects them is a body of work engaging seriously with questions of identity, memory and heritage from a distinctly regional vantage point — not as a theme imposed from outside, but as lived material. Reading them together says more about where the region's art world is heading than any single fair or exhibition review can.
We'll keep adding to this list as we publish new interviews and profiles, so it's worth checking back rather than treating it as a fixed roster.
Meet Fatma Lootah, an exceptional name in the Arab art world and perhaps one of the most important UAE cultural and art ambassadors internationally. This month, four of her evocative works are on view at RARARES Gallery in DIFC’s Gate Village, as part of the exhibition Elysian Awakening. The show runs through to 31 August 2025.
Celebrating Emirati women through creativity Four Emirati women explore identity, heritage, and storytelling through embroidery, photography, weaving, and writing.
Emirati Women’s Day celebrates the incredible achievements of women across the nation. To mark the occasion, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi has partnered with Zayed University’s College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) to showcase the creativity and powerful self-expression of female Emirati artists.
Art in the Middle collaborates with Fatma Lootah for an Emirati Women’s Day exhibition at ME Dubai, celebrating art, identity, heritage and femininity.
In this exclusive interview, Sara Al Mheiri, author of Under the Ghaf Tree, shares her journey of documenting Emirati culture through real stories, art, and lived experience.
Maisoon Al Saleh explores identity and memory through surreal, skeletal forms across painting, sculpture and digital work.
Born in Makkah and creatively shaped by Jeddah’s cultural buzz, Asliyah’s sound is a rich fusion of heritage and innovation. We caught up with her to talk about her journey, the inspirations behind her music, and how she’s carving a path for the next generation of artists in Saudi Arabia.
Dubai artist Dina Sami collaborates with New Balance on a wearable art collection inspired by UAE unity, identity and community.
