Dubai: The Ministry of Culture will participate in Art Dubai, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, from 15th to 17th May at Madinat Jumeirah. As part of its participation, the Ministry will present a dedicated platform highlighting its programmes and initiatives designed to support artists and empower the creative sector.
According to Emirates News Agency, the participation will also feature 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 programmes. The exhibition will showcase 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 initiatives include the National Grant Programme for Culture and Creativity, the Creative Sabbatical Programme, the Creative Spaces Initiative, and the Creative Path Programme, all contributing to strengthening the country's cultural and creative ecosystem while supporting the long-term sustainability of the sector. Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, stated that the participation in Art Dubai reflects the Ministry's 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 a medium for expressing cultural identity and fostering community dialogue.
'When the Familiar Becomes Unfamiliar' will present 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 will showcase a range of artistic media, including sculpture, installation art, photography, printmaking, and mixed media. Through sculptural and installation-based art forms, the participating artists will 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.