A plethora of international artist choose the Unites Arab Emirates to establish their art. Given that it is a melting pot of cultures, it gives artists the opportunity to be themselves truly, and explore many different cultures for inspiration.
The Arte & Lusso team would like to share ten Abu Dhabi based artists to discover on Instagram. These artists range from painters to filmmakers from abroad as well as Emirati talents. They will surely astonish you with their creations!
Julia Ibbini
Julia Ibbini is an Abu Dhabi based artist, who has been a resident for 27 years. Known for her unique creative process, she mainly works by layering laser-cut pieces to achieve her final result with loads of intricate details. Julia’s art career began at Leeds College of Art and Design. Additionally, she curates many locally based exhibitions.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @juliaibbini
Sumayyah Al Suwaidi
Sumayyah Al Suwaidi is a celebrated Emirati artist, fashion designer and curator. She has showcased her artworks in various art galleries locally and internationally, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Morocco, and Germany. She has sold many of her artworks including auction houses such as Christie’s in Dubai. Sumayyah is one of the key figures in the art scene in UAE, inspiring and supporting many emerging artists.
Follow the Sumayyah’s work on Instagram: @sumayyahalsuwaidi
Khaled Al Jabri
Khaled Al Jabri is an Emirati caricature artist based in Abu Dhabi with a passion for comics. His first comedy was titled “Harabat”, and since then he has won multiple awards for his art. The artist shares many of his comics on Instagram, focusing on daily life as well as the cultural aspect in the United Arab Emirates. Follow this talented Emirati artist and his profile will definitely fill your feed with humor.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @khaledaljabri
Maitha Abdalla
Maitha Abdalla discovered her passion for art at a very young age, and pursued a B.A. in Visual Arts at Zayed University. Currently based in Abu Dhabi, she creates her pieces drawing inspiration from stories, and her own culture, illustrating significant parallels in her paintings.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @maithaabdalla
Kenna Al-Sayed
Al-Sayed is an award-winning artist based in Abu Dhabi. She combines her passion, art, and her love for horses, to create unique unique art series. She has a reputable collection of realistic horse artworks in her signature style. Her work will sure captivate you as she strives to convey hidden emotions of the horses in her paintings.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @sorrelstudios
Aisha Al Ahmadi
Aisha is an Emirati artist, writer and aspiring curator raised in Abu Dhabi. Her work is research-based and focuses on the themes of identity politics, truth and perception. Al Ahmadi is an artist with a writing practice who has moved from a tactile, emotive aesthetic to an architectural, authoritative and conceptual voice. Her mediums are drawings, printmaking, painting and photography. Aisha has been recently featured in the “Sense of Women” art exhibition by Mia Collection.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @aisha.ahs
Afra Al Dhaheri
Emirati artist Afra Al Dhaheri’s art centers around her experiences growing up in Abu Dhabi, emphasizing the fast development of the United Arab Emirates. One of her latest exhibitions was in Belgium titled Conscious Becoming (2021) curated by Tatjana Pieters.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @afra_aldhaheri
Omar Al Dhaheri
Omar Al Dhaheri began being an intern at Creative Lab, experimenting with photography, videography, acting, and directing, which resulted in him later becoming a filmmaker and being hired by the company. The artist is now working as a talent development associate at Creative Lab Abu Dhabi.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @saskii10
Nawaf Al Janahi
Al Janahi is a known actor and film maker from Abu Dhabi. He pursued acting at the tender age of 7, and later moved to California to pursue the art of cinema. Since then, he has produced various award-winning short films in the United Arab Emirates, and is know for his famous films ‘Sea Shadow’ and ‘The Circle’.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @nawafaljanahi
Calixte
Calixte is a French artist. Her profession previously was architecture however, she decided to give her focus to art. Her artworks are vibrant and use saturated colors to add personality. The feeling that she wishes to emphasize with her art is ‘freedom’, given that her technique with oil paint lets her do exactly that.
Follow the artist’s work on Instagram: @calichon
To discover artists in other emirates you can check out our ’10 Dubai Based Artists to Follow on Instagram’ click: arte8lusso.net and follow: @arte8lusso on Instagram.
