The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) is funding the upcoming solo art show by Maitha Abdalla, the first Emirati artist to take part in the An Effort Art Residency programme in London, as part of its commitment to promote the abilities and aspirations of talented Emirati artists. The new exhibition, INT. The Body – Sunrise, will run from October 11 to 16, 2022, at Cromwell Place in London.
The exhibition is the result of Abdalla’s three-month ADMAF-funded An Effort residency in London’s Soho neighbourhood. An Effort encourages artists that aim to engage and connect with their audience and larger community in a distinctive way, whether through their messaging or their technique.
“The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation is committed to investing in the talent and creative potential of Emirati artists and empowering them to realise their dreams and ambitions,” said H.E. Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of ADMAF and founder and artistic director of Abu Dhabi Festival. In order to cultivate and promote Maitha Abdalla’s passion for the arts, which she has demonstrated since a young age, we are thrilled to support her as the first Emirati to be invited to the residency programme at London’s An Effort Art. Maitha’s solo exhibition is a fantastic chance to introduce London audiences to her distinctive style and promote intercultural understanding by providing information about the vibrant art scene in the UAE.
Maitha Abdalla examines facets of social and cultural identity through her distinctive artworks, which frequently draw inspiration from folktales from her youth and incorporate cultural narratives and nostalgia-inducing recollection.
Maitha is renowned for her work, which veers between the translucent, vibrant, and surreal while always evoking feelings of nostalgia and remembrance. Her piece, “The Dancing and the Animal,” was included in the exhibition Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives at the Abu Dhabi Festival 2022. The historic event took place in conjunction with the 19th Abu Dhabi Festival, with the subject “Crafting the Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation, and Joy.”
For over 25 years, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) has supported the innovation and creativity of talented individuals, aiming to create distinguished competencies and promote cultural movement locally and internationally.