Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi to Open Three New Exhibitions

Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi will open three new international exhibitions to the public on Thursday February 22nd, as part of a packed cultural calendar that includes musical and theatrical performances. The exhibitions include a major display that celebrates the work of postmodernist Emirati artist Hussein Sharif, one of ‘The Five’ Emiratis who are considered founders of contemporary art in the country.

‘Hussein Sharif: Re-framing Reality’ exhibits four decades of the eponymous artist’s work, showcasing his multidisciplinary practice across painting, drawing, collage and sculpture. Born and raised in Dubai, Sharif has worked with various mediums to respond to changes in his surrounding environment, and used recycled materials as a way of depicting changes in Emirati society.

This new exhibition extends to the surrounding site of the Cultural Foundation, featuring different installations that encourage the audience to interact with the work. Curated by Aysha Al Hemeiri and Zuhoor Al Sayegh, the show will run until September 1st, 2024.

‘Native: Plants in the UAE’ is a group art exhibition showcasing the UAE’s native flora and  exploring the life conditions of the UAE’s indigenous plants, each with their own unique variations of colour, texture, size and behaviour. From the iconic Ghaf tree to resilient desert grasses, each specimen tells a story of adaptation and survival, with the curated collection shedding light on the ecological significance of these organic specimens.

The exhibition is curated by Sumayya Al Suwaidi alongside assistant curators Aysha Al Aseeri and Huda Marzooq and will run until September 1st 2024.

For the first time in the region, the work of world-renowned illustrator and young children’s book author Eric Carle will have his work shown in an exhibition, titled ‘Through the Seasons with Eric Carle’. With more than 70 books to his name including the globally successful ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar', this exhibition shows off Carle’s beautiful imagery of the seasons; from bears hibernating in winter and hatching chicks in spring, to colourful flowers in summer and ripe apple trees in autumn.

Curated by Reem Al Hashimi, the show features original artworks as well as unpublished work and runs until 22 August 2024.