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The Ministry of Culture is participating in Art Dubai, 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, from May 15 to 17 at Madinat Jumeirah.
As part of its participation, the Ministry is presenting a dedicated platform highlighting its programs and initiatives designed to support artists and empower the creative sector. The participation also features a special exhibition titled ‘When the Familiar Becomes Unfamiliar,’ featuring works from three Emirati female artists – Karima Al Shomely, Rawdha Al Ketbi, and Sara Ahli – who have been supported through the Ministry’s cultural grant programs.
The exhibition showcases the richness of the UAE’s artistic landscape by bringing together creative voices from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the wide spectrum of artistic practices nurtured by the Ministry of Culture through initiatives designed to empower artists and advance their professional development. These include the National Grant Program for Culture and Creativity, the Creative Sabbatical Program, the Creative Spaces Initiative, and the Creative Path Program, all of which contribute to strengthening the country’s cultural and creative ecosystem while supporting the long-term sustainability of the sector.
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E. Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, said: “The Ministry of Culture’s participation in Art Dubai reflects its continued commitment to supporting Emirati artists and enhancing their visibility across leading artistic and cultural events. This engagement further reinforces the UAE’s position as a global hub for creativity and culture, while also positioning contemporary arts as an important medium for expressing cultural identity and fostering community dialogue.”
His Excellency added: “More importantly, this exhibition reflects the breadth of artistic practices and perspectives shaping the work of Emirati artists today, highlighting the strength of the local art scene in producing contemporary visual works that maintain a distinct cultural and human dimension.”
‘When the Familiar Becomes Unfamiliar’ presents a selection of works that explore visual and material transformations, reinterpreting familiar and ordinary elements through abstract perspectives and contemporary installation-based approaches.
The exhibition showcases a wide range of artistic media, including sculpture, installation art, photography, printmaking, and mixed media. Through sculptural and installation-based art forms, the participating artists explore texture, structure, and the body to produce works that evoke both familiarity and novelty.
Artist Karima Al Shomely reimagines traditional Emirati textiles through sculptural compositions, transforming soft patterns and fabrics into solid, structured forms. Meanwhile, artist Rawdha Al Ketbi draws inspiration from everyday objects, such as ladders, to create compositions that evoke a sense of movement and balance. Artist Sara Ahli showcases body-inspired glass works defined by organic, fluid forms that appear vibrant and full of life.
Across the exhibition, materials are folded, cast, assembled, and reconfigured, capturing subtle traces of movement and transformation. Together, these pieces create a space that celebrates colour, rhythm, and curiosity, inviting audiences to pause, reflect, and rediscover familiar elements through new perspectives.
Art Dubai brings together a distinguished group of local and international artists and galleries, underscoring the rapid growth of the UAE’s cultural and creative sectors, as well as the expanding role of arts in supporting the creative economy and fostering cultural exchange.
Through these diverse initiatives and programs, the Ministry of Culture continues to empower Emirati creatives and shape an enabling environment for artistic knowledge production, further reinforcing the UAE’s position as a regional and global hub for culture, arts, and creativity.