FRIENDS OF ABU DHABI ART

Launched in 2021, the Friends of Abu Dhabi Art is made up of individuals who are actively committed to supporting art and culture in the emirate.

WELCOME TO THE FRIENDS OF ABU DHABI ART SPACE

Each year, Friends of Abu Dhabi Art commissions new artworks by UAE-based artists. Aiming to contribute to the local art ecosystem, this initiative enables the production of new work by both emerging and established artists.

In 2021, Friends of Abu Dhabi Art commissioned work from the three emerging UAE-based artists – Hashel Al Lamki, Maitha Abdalla and Christopher Benton – who participated in that year’s Beyond: Emerging Artists, the guest curators for which were Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath.

In 2022, the Friends of Abu Dhabi Art initiative continued to support the 2021 commissioned artists by attending Abu Dhabi Art: Beyond Emerging Artists in Cromwell Place, London.

In 2023 the three appointed artists for Beyond Emerging Artists included, Almaha Jaralla, Latifa Saeed and Samo Shalaby, all based in the UAE Abu Dhabi Art. The work of these artists will be subsequently exhibited in Venice for a period of one month commencing mid April 2024.

The group will continue its support of the local art scene by commissioning new artists for Abu Dhabi Art’s 2024 fair, whose works will be exhibited at the fair and in a new international destination.