By Head to these Art Exhibitions in January
There is a literally an explosion of art events in the city. From solo exhibitions to group shows and art fests, a new event is opening somewhere in Dubai every day, turning your art calendar very busy throughout this month. Middle East Masala lists the events you shouldn’t miss:
Urdu Worlds
Ishara Art Foundation, Alserkal Avenue
January 16 to May 31st, 2026
Ishara Art Foundation presents the first ever contemporary art exhibition centred around the Urdu language, spoken widely in Pakistan and India. The exhibition blends art and language together through the lens of Pakistani artist Ali Kazim and late Indian printmaker Zarina. Despite their distinct personal histories and artistic practices the two artists are united by a profound sensitivity to the Urdu language. Curated by Hammad Nassar, Urdu Worlds displays woodcut prints by Zarina on Urdu proverbs. Under the theme — Home is a Foreign Place – she depicts words in Urdu that she associated with home, including sky, rain, fragrance and language. Ali Kazim presents an expansive body of work on South Asian urban and pastoral landscapes, that include paintings, drawing, sculptures and videos. https://www.ishara.org/
Admiring Ancestors by Juliet Makhlouf
Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery, Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz
January 24, 2026 to February 8, 2026
Dubai-based Syrian artist Juliet Makhlouf, is inspired by ancestry. At this exhibition she presents 30 new paintings looking back at memory, ancestry and shared heritage. In Admiring Ancestry, she approaches ancestry not as a distant past but as a living presence. Born in Syria in 1957 Makhlouf, is a graduate of fine arts from the University of Damascus, a member of the Syrian Association of Fine Arts, an Honorary member of the UAE Association of Fine Arts and an art educator. https://oblongcontemporary.com/
In the Space of Becoming, Alia Hussain Lootah
Aisha Alabbar Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
January 17th to March 10th 2026
In this new body of work Emirati artist Alia Hussain Lootah, explores movement and transformation. Her exhibition brings together paintings, drawings and sculptures to reflect on form, that is continuously moving. Her practice traces the life of shapes as they stretch, collapse and reappear in altered states. The artist invites viewers to slow down, observe forms and engage patiently to witness the magic of them unfolding, lingering and evolving. https://www.aishaalabbar.art/
Invisible Fish by Saif Azzuz
Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue
January 17th to April 3rd 2025
Libyan Yurok artist Saif Azzuz links water with place, history and the natural world to trace the archaeological and cultural history of UAE, prior to vast urban development. The exhibition brings together paintings, works on paper, sculpture and moving images. The title of the exhibition is inspired by the poem Invisible Fish by Native American poet Joy Harjo. In Azzuz’s art UAE’s coastal landscape emerges not as a backdrop but as an active agent – fragile, adaptive and deeply entangled with human activity. https://www.lawrieshabibi.com/
Printed works: Digital Art Exhibition
Kutubna Cultural Center, Dubai
January 16th to March 9, 2026
Digitally created 35 artworks by 27 artists are being showcased at Kutubna Cultural Center’s latest exhibition Printed Works: Digital Art. These digital artworks created by the artists, who hail from 16 countries are printed and displayed on the gallery’s walls. The prints offer a glimpse into significant memories and moments from the artists’ lived-in experiences, their intimate musings around identity, agency and memory. Curated by Nora Qudah, the artworks include Grand Migration by Turkish artist Ahmet Albayrak, Palestinian artist Aseel AlJaberi’s Between Then and Now, Ukrainian artist Diana Zukh’s The Sun Will Rise, Indian artist Kashish Rabban’s Moment to Breathe and Nigerian artist Tejumola Animashaun’s Day Bloom – Oraya among others. https://www.kutubna.ae/
The Storyteller and the Obedient Tide: Jumana Emil Abboud
Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai
January 27, 2026 to June 28, 2026
Palestinian artist Jumana Emil Abboud celebrates the art of storytelling. She reinterprets folklore, myths and collective memory to explore heritage and identity through videos, drawing and performances. The opening of the exhibition on January 27, 2026, will include a powerful spoken word performance by the artist, reflecting on her profound connection to ancient folktales, rituals and the deep enduring waters that hold these stories. https://jameelartscentre.org/
This Bloom, I Borrow, Aida Muluneh
Efie Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
January 17, 2026 to April 5, 2026
Renowned Ethiopian visual artist and photographer Aida Muluneh’s second solo exhibition at the gallery features 10 of her never-before-seen photographs. Shot in the artist’s studio in Abidjan in West Africa, the artist used painted backdrops and models with body paint. By blending photography, silk screen printing and hand painting techniques she transforms each photograph into a unique work of art. https://efiegallery.com/
Chronicles from the Storm, Saher Nassar
Zawyeh Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
January 17, 2026 to March 18, 2026
Palestinian artist Saher Nassar reflects on prolonged states of loss, endurance and emotional exhaustion in this exhibition at the Zawyeh Gallery. The artist delves into personal memories of dealing with past emotional loss and translates it into his art through a variety of mediums. Across his body of work, the artist contemplates the devaluation of hope as a fundamental factor of human survival, sometimes revealed as route for escape and at other times seen in people resorting to their mere primal instincts to endure. https://zawyeh.net/
The Journey of Creation by Yun Kusanagi
Intent Gallery, Downtown, Dubai
Jan 23, 2026 to Feb 6th, 2026
Dubai-based Moroccan artist Yun Kusanagi exhibits eight artworks representing different stages of his artistic life. Channelling raw emotions through his abstract art canvases, Yun, tracks his evolution as an artist. Originally from Casablanca, Yun spent a large part of his adult life in the UK, a country that shaped his artistic perspective. In this exhibition, he draws on themes of energy, reflection, migration, memory and belonging. https://intentartgallery.com/