Collage Art Exhibition
Exhibition Duration
May 16 – August 31, 2026
Opening
Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 6PM - 8PM
Location Kutubna Cultural Center, Nadd Al Hamar, Dubai
Admission
Free entry
No booking
Kutubna Cultural Center’s Collage Art Exhibition presents more than 70 artworks by artists from around the world, bringing together works created in both physical and digital mediums. The collection explores themes such as memory, identity, migration, belonging, resilience, spirituality, culture, environment, and the relationship between tradition and modernity.
Highly inventive and expressive, collage was founded on the principle of integrating diverse materials, images, and concepts to produce original compositions. Pioneered by figures such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, the medium rapidly developed into a sophisticated artistic language, further advanced by artists including Hannah Höch and Max Ernst and later reinterpreted in the dynamic cut-outs of Henri Matisse. This exhibition offers a unique occasion to examine contemporary collage in the UAE and beyond.
In this exhibition, artists work with materials like paper, fabric, photos, found objects, and digital tools to build layered images and stories. Their work often mixes real and imagined elements, showing how ordinary materials and objects can be transformed, made to carry meaning, and open up pathways for reinterpretation through art. The exhibition presents collage as a flexible and contemporary art form. Each artist offers a distinct cultural and emotional perspective, as their works resonate with viewers who seek to understand the sources of inspiration behind each composition. The works encourage thoughtful engagement with the processes of making and reimagining materials in use. Thoughtfully staged on Kutubna's gallery walls, the exhibition invites visitors to take their time reflecting on how everyday life is made up of fragments, changing moments, and different points of view as they move through the space.
The show brings together 44 artists representing 26 countries, including: Afghanistan, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Syria, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States.
The artists reside in different regions of the world, with the United Arab Emirates serving as home and creative hub for many of them.
The exhibition was curated by Nora Qudah and runs from May 16 to August 31, 2026, at Kutubna Cultural Center, Dubai.
Alberto De Blobs (b. 1982, Spain) is a graffiti writer, painter, and mural artist based in Barcelona. He began painting at the age of 12 through Barcelona’s graffiti scene, developing a foundation in wild style letter work before gradually expanding into an elaborate mix of figuration and free form abstraction. His practice maintains a flexible mural practice, where he employs bold shapes, rhythmic lines, and strong color structures, building scenes that sit between narrative and abstraction. De Blobs’ highly illustrative visual language bridges his subcultural roots with wider art historical references, moving fluidly between studio works and public space. His work often explores the subconscious and embraces a deliberate sense of visual clumsiness as a way to keep images direct, human, and alive.
Alexandra Carambellas (b. 1970, Switzerland - Greece) was born in London and raised in Zurich, Alexandra Carambellas works across photography, collage, drawing, and video, exploring themes of home, memory, and place. She received her BFA (Hons) in 2002 from Middlesex University and Central St. Martin’s College in London. In 2004, she joined Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) as a research and teaching associate in the postgraduate Spatial Design programme, later co-leading the programme for two years (2016 to 2018) while also contributing to the artists-in-labs residency programme at ZHdK. After fifteen years at ZHdK, she left in 2018 to focus fully on her artistic practice. She currently lives and works between Athens and Zurich, where she also leads creative workshops in her studio.
Aya Al-Obaidi (b. 1997, Iraq) is a graphic designer and video editor whose multinational background fuels her passion for creativity and imagination. She was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq, before relocating with her family to Egypt, then to Malaysia, and later settling in Cyprus, where she continues to reside. Building on her international experience, she established her Dubai-based startup, Sparkling Star Design Services, specializing in graphic design, video editing, and motion graphics, and now moves between Cyprus and Dubai as she develops her professional practice.
Batool Khalifa (b. 1999, Egypt) is a visual artist and art educator based in the UAE. She has a background in art education and art criticism, and works at the intersection of heritage studies, new media art, and immersive practices. Her practice explores the relationship between memory, place, and technology, questioning how contemporary tools reshape our perception of history and collective identity. Through video art, interactive installations, speculative narratives, and environmental design, she investigates the tension between material heritage and digital mediation.
Bettina Kulakowski (Germany) is a Dubai-based multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of textile art, embroidery, and contemporary mixed media. Her practice explores the quiet power of slow, intentional making, transforming everyday materials into tactile narratives that invite reflection and pause. Working with hand embroidery, fabric collage, and weaving, she balances structure and intuition, where repetition, texture, and layering become both process and language. Influenced by the philosophy of slow creation, she embraces imperfection, materiality, and time as essential elements of her work. She conducts workshops, guided by her practice, to encourage others to reconnect with creativity through mindful, hands-on processes.
Carlie Louise Manalac (b. 1998, Philippines) is a visual artist and junk journaler based in Dubai. Her work focuses on memory and identity, which she explores through a combination of photography, collage, and sketching. She also contributes to ArtDialogo Asia as a Communication Visual Artist, crafting intimate visual stories that honor community and everyday life.
Celina Sarieddine (b. 1971, Lebanon) is a visual artist, painter, and writer based in the UAE. Drawing and painting for over 30 years, she has created over 300 artworks, of which pieces have been exhibited locally and internationally. With a master’s degree in architecture, she moved from architectural practice into a full-time artistic career, exploring human experience, emotional depth, and spiritual themes. Her work spans portraiture, still life, landscapes, and abstraction, blending classical techniques with contemporary expression. Her award-winning book The Enigma of a Love That Only You Can Unlock combines writing, watercolor, and voice in a multimedia format, with a second publication currently in progress.
Daniela Godoy-Waheed (b. 1985, Argentina - Canada) is a professional marbling artist based in the UAE. She is an Art History instructor at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah and a PhD candidate. Her research explores marbling, material culture, and ekphrasis. Her work integrates Turkish Ebru and Japanese Suminagashi with collage, archival ephemera, and botanical elements to examine themes of memory and layered histories. Through her platform @marblingme, she shares workshops and community-based art experiences. Her practice bridges traditional craft, literature, and contemporary visual storytelling.
Daniolco Lerio (Yuta Kabilin) (b. 1991, Phillipines) is a Dubai-based visual artist, designer, and poet who creates under the name Yuta Kabilin, a Bisaya phrase meaning “Inherited Land,” reflecting on what is rooted in the soil and carried through blood, memory, and becoming. Her practice is an earnest exploration of sustainability and inclusivity. Using found objects and reclaimed materials, she foregrounds Filipino heritage by weaving indigenous textiles into her material experiments and poetic narratives. For Yuta, art is not merely aesthetic; it is an act of remembering, reclaiming, and re-rooting.
Diana Hancinska (b. 1989, Slovakia) is a visual artist whose connection to art began in her teenage years, that tapered for some time, leaving her with a quiet sense of incompleteness. She returned to creativity 15 years later, following an arm injury, and rediscovered art as a space for healing and reflection. Her work is shaped by introspection and emotion, creating a dialogue between the seen and unseen, where personal experience transforms into visual narratives that invite viewers to explore memory and feelings.
Ekaterina Frolova (b. 1995, Russia) is a collage artist who began her creative journey in 2020, at a time when the world seemed suspended in a state of waiting. As if guided by an unseen design, she started assembling scattered pixels into meaningful compositions, discovering poetry within fragmentation. Through deliberately simple subjects, her work seeks hidden wisdom in everyday life, transforming fragments of an oversaturated existence into visual messages that invite viewers to reflect on the eternal—or at least pause for a quiet moment beyond the material.
Fatima Taher Jewad (b. 1987, United Kingdom) is a self-taught alcohol ink artist who began her creative journey eight years ago, as a path of healing and self-discovery through art. Guided by a passion for vibrant color, she creates expressive works that emerge from the subconscious, offering a sense of renewal and emotional release. Alongside this practice, she nurtures a deep love for Arabic calligraphy, exploring diverse scripts and traditions. Her work is an intentional journey that blends color and Islamic art to evoke reflection, inner healing, and spiritual awareness.
Gerald Agutu (b. 2000, Kenya) is a visual artist, art director, video editor, and filmmaker who is passionate about bringing ideas to life through bold visuals, clean design, and cinematic storytelling. Working across branding, motion, and film, he creates intentional and engaging work that transforms concepts into visual narratives. Whether designing a logo, crafting dynamic edits, or developing short films, his focus remains on creating work that connects with people and leaves a lasting impression, while continuously exploring new ways to merge creativity with purpose and collaboration.
Hiyam Salman (b. 1964, Syria) is a visual artist who has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions as well as international art festivals. She has held annual exhibitions of her work, with six of her paintings transformed into scarves in Japan as part of the Yadi project. A selection of her works has also been adapted into book covers across the Arab world, and her painting My Husband was featured in the book Best Faces in Fabric in the United States. In addition, she has designed and produced costume collections for theatre productions.
Homa Abdoli (b. 1994, Iran) is an artist and designer based in Dubai. Homa holds a master’s degree in design and works across painting, sculpture, product design and digital arts. Her artistic approach blends surreal and emotional elements, focusing on inner experiences that tend to be difficult to put into words. Through visual forms, she expresses deep personal emotions and invites the viewer to reflect on overlooked aspects of life, especially those connected to memory, pain, and silent resilience.
Irene Isabel Prestinary (b. 1967, United States) is a seasoned visual arts educator and volunteer, whose 20+ year career has shaped minds across schools, libraries, and museums. Her practice spans curriculum development, workshops, and guided tours for institutions including the Norton Simon Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Getty Center. She holds a Master of Arts in Art Education from California State University, Long Beach. Her artworks have been exhibited and sold through museum stores and cultural spaces such as the Bowers Gallery Store, Craft and Folk Art Museum Store, Galería de la Raza, Museum of Latin American Art Store, and the Orange County Museum of Art Store.
Isabela Tavares (b. 1988, Brazil) is a costume designer, multidisciplinary artist, and Associate Professor of Theatre in the Performing Arts Program at the American University of Sharjah. With a background in Fashion and Textiles, she built an international career designing costumes for theatre, dance, film, and television before transitioning into academia. Her artistic practice spans illustration, printmaking, photography, and textile art, through which she develops complex visual narratives. Her research focuses on identity, memory, and belonging through dress, alongside costume semiotics and fashion as a medium for cultural, historical, and political expression.
Julianna McCarthy (b. 1987, Canada) is a multi-media artist with a penchant for the strange and surreal. Originally from the island of Newfoundland, Julianna has been creating mixed media collages since childhood, and in 2015, she began publicly sharing her work under the moniker Surreal Deep Cuts. Julianna’s work has been shown in galleries and added to private collections across Canada and New York City, where she spends much of her time. While she considers collage her first love, she is forever experimenting and expanding across mediums. A lifelong creative, Julianna also works as an actor and writer.
Mariam Bin Hammad (b. 1996, United Arab Emirates) is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in graphic design, whose practice explores the intersection of structure and intuitive expression. Drawing inspiration from culture, nature, and spirituality, her work reflects an ongoing dialogue between heritage and personal evolution. Through layered textures, symbolic forms, and abstract compositions, she creates reflective visual experiences that invite contemplation on identity, memory, and a sense of belonging.
Mohammad Danyal Zaheer (b.1992, Afghanistan) was born and raised in Herat, His passion for calligraphy took root in early childhood, shaping his artistic journey. He is a multidisciplinary artist exploring the intersection of visual art, calligraphy, printmaking, and design. His practice blends traditional craftsmanship with modern storytelling, using printmaking techniques, typography, and mixed media to create immersive, thought-provoking works. Through his prints and visual compositions, he captures themes of identity, culture, and the human experience, bridging the past and present through tactile, hand-crafted aesthetics.
Nayyab Akram (b. 1992, United Kingdom) is a visual artist based in the UAE. Her collage practice transforms fragments of the everyday into layered narratives exploring memory, resilience, and the poetics of the human condition. Her work begins with fragments of the everyday, discarded magazine pages, images and textures that she cuts, layers and reimagines through collage. Beginning with intimate portraits that illuminated overlooked realities of poverty and survival, her practice has since evolved into dreamlike compositions where figures move through landscapes infused with flora, celestial motifs and shadows. The intimate scale makes the viewing experience all the more personal too; for it's just you and the unseen face in the visual silently communicating.
Nicole Henning (b. 1967, Switzerland) is a multidisciplinary artist working with painting, photography and installation, using staging, models, and collages to explore the boundaries between fiction and reality. Her artistic practice focuses on media representations, consumer and leisure worlds, functional places, and questions of identity, and emotional reality. She studied fine art at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and worked as a stage designer in theatre for many years alongside her artistic work. In 2013, she deepened her exploration of the possibilities and limitations of art and area in a master's programme in transdisciplinary at the Zurich University of the Arts. Her works, which have received numerous awards, including the Swiss Art Award, are represented in public and private collections, as well as by the Lucerne-based 171gallery.
Rabab Zaidi (b. 1982, India) is a Gold Medalist, MFA (Delhi), with a strong academic foundation in fine arts. She has held three solo exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions in Riyadh and Oman, where she received an Honorary Award. Her works are part of notable private and institutional collections, including HRH Princess Adela bint Abdullah and the United States Embassy. She is also the co-founder of CAFE Jamia in Delhi, an initiative focused on cultural and creative engagement. Wholly engaged in the demands of early motherhood for a period, her practice shifted into a quieter, less structured phase. She has since returned to the discipline with renewed energy and consistency, as she continues to develop and expand her visual language.
Rakhshinda Arshad (b. 1989, Pakistan) is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who has studied fine arts and holds diplomas in communication design and traditional art with a focus on Tezhip (illumination). Working across both manual and digital mediums, she creates intricate Tezhip paintings, illustrations, and design projects inspired by classical ornament and botanical forms. Her practice explores how traditional decorative arts can be translated into contemporary visual formats through surface patterns, textile designs, and ceremonial works, while she also shares her expertise through workshops with students internationally.
Razeena Abdurahman (b. 1983, India) is a textile artist based in Qatar whose creative practice is defined by the seamless fusion of traditional sewing and contemporary art. Deeply inspired by her lifelong home in the Middle East, she uses textile waste as her primary resource to transform discarded fabrics into bold, vibrant compositions. Her artistic philosophy centers on mindful transformation, inviting viewers to reconsider the value of discarded materials through techniques like free-motion sewing and textile collage. Her work has been showcased across Qatar, and she was honored with the Tarsheed Best Recycled Art Award in 2022. Beyond her studio practice, she facilitates interactive workshops for schools and corporations, advocating for sustainability, and conscious creativity.
Sarah Hatem (b. 1995, Syria) is a visual artist, mixed media practitioner, and art teacher who holds a master’s degree in fine arts. Her practice explores the relationship between personal memory and contemporary experience through layered materials and visual narratives. She works across painting and mixed media, incorporating elements that carry symbolic and historical meanings to create compositions that reflect an ongoing dialogue between past and present.
Saira Safwan (b. Pakistan,1981) is an art educator and research scholar with a background in Fine Arts. She began her academic career as a lecturer at Lahore College for Women University (2004–2009), followed by work as a research assistant on art conservation projects, as well as co-curating exhibitions and contributing exhibition reviews and articles. She later pursued PhD in Art History at the University of the Punjab on figure painting in Pakistan (1947–2006), which was paused due to relocation. Now based in Dubai, she continues her creative and academic practice through freelance work and a PGCE qualification.
Stacey Kalkowski (United States of America) is a multimedia artist, filmmaker and game designer living and working in the United Arab Emirates. After working for 12 years in the film industry in Hollywood, California, she returned to school to earn her Master of Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and subsequently California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). When she is not teaching art and game design at UAE University, she travels the world and enjoys time with her dog, Harley, at her small farm in Roccaspinalveti, Abruzzo, Italy.
Shloka Shankar (India) is a poet, editor, and visual artist from Bangalore. A Best of the Net nominee and widely published haiku poet, Shloka is the Founding Editor of Sonic Boom and its imprint Yavanika Press. She is the author of the haiku collections, “The Field of Why” and “within our somehow,” and co-author of the haiga anthology, “living in the pause.”
Shereen Audi (b. 1970, Jordan - Canada) is a visual artist based in Amman. She graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in 1992 and studied under Dr. Khaled Khreis, later developing her practice through printmaking workshops at Darat al Funun in Amman. Her work spans mixed media, including collage, book art, resin, and painting. She has held 12 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous international group shows.
Shang Salah (b. 2001, Iraq) is a London-based Kurdish-Iraqi visual artist, filmmaker, and researcher working across collage, photography, archive, and video. Her work explores themes of temporality, memory, nostalgia, and physicality. Her practice is rooted in her Kurdish-Iraqi identity, with her home remaining at the centre of her artistic vision.
Shehzad Afzaal (b. 1992, Pakistan) is a Dubai-based digital artist and art consultant with over eight years of experience. His work blends Arabic calligraphic influences with modern abstract forms, exploring emotion, movement, and cultural expression. He has collaborated with leading UAE galleries, including ArtPlus Gallery, Gallery One and Gallery Mermaid, where he created bespoke art for luxury interiors and hospitality spaces. As the founder of Gulf Art Gallery, he curates contemporary framed artworks, prints, and canvas collections. His style reflects clean aesthetics, expressive brushwork, and a strong connection to regional art heritage.
Urooj Fatima (b. 1991, Pakistan) is a Dubai-based collage artist and design graduate working across both digital and handmade formats. Her practice often explores surreal themes, alongside conceptual works that carry deeper meaning, using collage as a way to construct layered visual narratives and alternative perceptions of reality.
Valerie Browning (b. 1971, United Kingdom) is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in architecture, which first shaped her interest in form, structure, and spatial relationships. After moving to Dubai, she developed large-scale murals and interior artworks, integrating colour and pattern into architectural spaces. Her current practice focuses on smaller-scale works using hand-printed papers, which she tears, layers, and reworks into collages that emphasise process and reflection. Inspired by flowers and fashion—from organic softness to structured form—she transforms printed fragments into playful and contemplative compositions.
Vera Volodina (b. 1990, Russia) is a collage artist and motion designer based in Cyprus. She studied philology and literature at Moscow State Lomonosov University, a background that informs her use of metaphor and narrative in visual form. Her practice merges digital and analog collage with elements of photography and motion design, exploring themes of identity, transformation, and memory. Volodina has participated in group exhibitions in New York and Berlin, and her works have been featured in several art publications. In 2025, she opened her first solo exhibition in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Vito Antonio Lerario (b.1987, Italy) is an Italy-based multidisciplinary artist working across photography, fashion, theater, and curation, with a practice rooted in performance, costume, and fashion design. He has worked as a designer, stylist, and costume designer for theater, film, and editorial projects, and co-founded 1900, a hybrid space dedicated to vintage archive, tailoring, and cultural research. His work has been presented through exhibitions, international collaborations, and published projects, while his recent photographic series explore identity, transformation and memory. He also teaches fashion and design alongside his studio practice.
Shamma Alfalasi (b. 2002, United Arab Emirates) is a graphic design student and artist based in the UAE. Her work explores themes of memory, cultural identity, and the subtle beauty found in overlooked details. Through research-driven design and visual storytelling, she transforms everyday objects into meaningful narratives. Her practice blends typography, illustration, and conceptual experimentation, reflecting a strong interest in heritage, nature, and emotional connection. Shamma approaches design as a way to translate personal experiences into visual language.
Hafsa Kharuri (b. 2003, India) is driven by a quiet, persistent compulsion—ideas that take hold and refuse to let go. Creation is a matter of reflex rather than choice, as she follows each idea wherever it leads, allowing it to unfold until it is fully expressed.
Hafsa Kharuri (b. 2003, India) is driven by a quiet, persistent compulsion—ideas that take hold and refuse to let go. Creation is a matter of reflex rather than choice, as she follows each idea wherever it leads, allowing it to unfold until it is fully expressed.
Hessa Al Maeeni (b. 2011, United Arab Emirates) is a young Emirati student based in Abu Dhabi who enjoys exploring art through learning new techniques and researching artists and their influences. Her curiosity and enthusiasm for creativity inspire her to experiment, develop her skills, and deepen her understanding of artistic expression.
Aysha Alshareef (b. 2012, United Arab Emirates) is a student attending The British International School Abu Dhabi. She enjoys art as a meaningful way to express her feelings and explore her creativity through visual expression.
Mathilda Pearce (b. 2012, France - United Kingdom) is a student attending The British International School Abu Dhabi. She enjoys exploring art as a way to think creatively and develop her imagination. Mathilda likes experimenting with different media and techniques, finding that art helps her relax while staying focused and engaged in the creative process.
Sabina Heather Hatton (b. 2012, Türkiye - United Kingdom) is a student attending The British International School Abu Dhabi. She enjoys art as a powerful way to express herself freely and explore creativity without limits. Through experimenting with different textures and ideas, she discovers new forms of expression while also learning about diverse cultures, religions, and perspectives from around the world.
Samata Anand Rao (b. 2012, India) is a student attending The British International School Abu Dhabi. She enjoys art as a creative outlet that allows her to express herself through the artworks she creates and develop her imagination.
Sophia El Khoury (b. 2012, Lebanon - United States) is a student attending The British International School Abu Dhabi. She enjoys hands-on artistic practices such as drawing, painting, and collage, using these mediums to explore creativity and personal inspiration. In one of her works, she created a collage titled From Lebanon to the World, celebrating the influence of a renowned Lebanese singer whose music has inspired audiences beyond the Arab world.
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