“What inspired you to embark on the journey of documenting UAE art history?” — I recently sat down with my publishers at Anthem Press. As an author, I was keen to share the inspirations behind my book and how my perspective on the region’s visual culture has evolved since its publication. Read the full interview here

One of the most rewarding aspects of documenting the UAE’s art history is witnessing how the “archival” becomes “contemporary.” When I wrote The Development of an Art History in the UAE, my goal was to provide a framework for understanding how a nation’s identity is constructed through its visual culture.

Seeing the 2026 National Pavilion, Washwasha, utilize the very same historical threads—such as Lamya Gargash’s documentation of the majlis. It proves that the UAE’s artistic trajectory is not a series of isolated events, but a continuous, sophisticated dialogue. This latest exhibition in Venice isn’t just a showcase of new talent; it is a manifestation of the decades of cultural groundwork that my book explores. It serves as a reminder that to truly appreciate where Emirati art is going, we must first understand the foundations upon which it was built.