Maitha Abdalla's Solo Exhibition At Cultural Foundation Explores Identity Through Art

The Cultural Foundation, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, is currently showcasing a solo exhibition titled ‘Maitha Abdalla: Between Metamorphosis and Reality’. This exhibition by Emirati artist Maitha Abdalla will be open until 30 August 2025. It offers a unique blend of fantasy and reality, where identity continuously evolves, and storytelling becomes deeply personal.

Through her art, Abdalla delves into folklore, mythology, psychology, and social constructs. Her work shifts between abstraction and representation using painting and sculpture. The exhibition underscores art's ability to initiate dialogue, inspire introspection, and enhance cultural ties within the community.

Abdalla’s artistic practice spans various disciplines including film, photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, and performance. She draws inspiration from theatre's performative nature to explore themes like folklore and social conditioning. Her works often depict characters in confined spaces symbolising vulnerability and self-discovery.

Her creative process is both physical and conceptual. She applies dense layers of oil and acrylic with her fingertips while outlining figures with charcoal smears. This technique reflects her presence in each piece as she explores social structures, memories, and fantasies through an objective yet personal lens.

An artist talk featuring Maitha Abdalla will occur on May 28, 2025. Moderated by Munira Al Sayegh from Dirwaza Curatorial Lab, this discussion will delve into Abdalla's diverse practice. It spans performance, sculpture, painting, and video while exploring themes like birth, death, guilt, and metamorphosis.

This conversation will reflect on her artistic journey through these powerful ideas. Insights from her recent residency at the Cultural Foundation will also be shared. The discussion will examine tensions between visibility and vulnerability alongside the relationship between language and physical form.

The Role of Ritual in Creation

Abdalla’s compositions are infused with drama and introspection inviting viewers into a world of shifting emotions. Her layered textures make each brushstroke a reflection of herself turning her creative process into a ‘performance in itself.’ The role of ritual in creation is another aspect explored during the artist talk.

The exhibition invites visitors to engage with art that blurs the lines between memory and myth. It highlights how storytelling can take on deeply personal forms while merging fantasy with reality. This approach allows for a unique exploration of identity within ever-changing contexts.

The exhibition serves as a testament to art's power to foster dialogue within communities while inspiring self-reflection among individuals who experience it firsthand at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi.

With inputs from WAM