By Rushda Rafeek
What does it mean to create abstract art in the UAE today? At مركز كتبنا الثقافي, this question is not just theoretical — it’s personal, emotional, and deeply urgent. With over 25 works on display, our Abstract Art Exhibition (running until August 11) explores memory, identity, nature, and emotion through non-figurative expression.
We sat down with three of the artists featured in the show for an intimate series of interviews, revealing the inner lives behind the abstract. Meet Youness Siraj Mounir (Yun K), Alina O’Dwyer, and Irudhayanathan Thangaraj (Nathan) — three powerful voices in the UAE’s artistic landscape, each approaching abstraction from radically different paths.
Youness (Yun K): Art as Emotion
With roots in Morocco and Palestine and a practice shaped by architecture and sound, Youness paints from a place of pure emotion. Music plays a major role in his process — his canvases become rhythm, tempo, and improvisation. In our interview, he reflects on vulnerability, dual identity, and why abstraction isn’t about answers, but resonance.
Read the full interview with Youness → Spotlight: Youness Siraj
Alina O’Dwyer: The Journey from Realism to Release
Russian-Irish artist Alina O’Dwyer once painted with precision — until she traded realism for rawness. Her work is layered, observational, and quietly bold. “Abstract art helped me let go of perfection,” she says. In her words, abstraction is where control meets surrender — and Dubai’s diversity plays a key role in that transformation.
Read the full interview with Alina → Artist Spotlight: Alina O’Dwyer
Nathan: Nature, Memory, and the Power of Pause
Raised in a rural village in Tamil Nadu and now based in the UAE, Nathan paints to honor stillness. A teacher by day and artist by soul, his compositions channel heritage, meditation, and memory into harmonious forms. “Art is reflection,” he tells us — a space where silence becomes visual.
Read the full interview with Nathan → Artist Spotlight: Irudhayanathan Thangaraj
Together, these three interviews peel back the layers of our exhibition — revealing not just how these artists paint, but why. If you’ve ever stood in front of an abstract piece and wondered what lies beneath, these stories are for you.
Abstract Art Exhibition
Kutubna Cultural Center, Madina Avenues, Nadd Al Hamar, Dubai
May 24 – August 11, 2025
Free entry | All are welcome