DCT Abu Dhabi's Cultural Foundation Launches Two Landmark Exhibitions Celebrating Emirati Art

The Cultural Foundation, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, has launched two exhibitions: ‘Two Clouds in the Night Sky’ and ‘And After’. These exhibitions, running from 9th October 2025 to 22nd February 2026, highlight innovative art voices and contemporary explorations. The events aim to celebrate artistic expression while preserving cultural heritage.

‘Two Clouds in the Night Sky’ is a solo exhibition by Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim. Known for his meditative art rooted in Khor Fakkan's landscapes, Ibrahim developed unique 'cipher' forms in the 1980s. His work draws inspiration from rock carvings and intuitive gestures, contributing to a new conceptual art language in the UAE.

The exhibition title comes from Ibrahim’s recent cloud-inspired series. These works connect memory, environment, and abstraction through poetic sensibility. At its centre, papier-mâché sculptures form a landscape resembling a forest, ruin, and dream. This constellation echoes one of his cipher drawings.

Four thematic sections showcase Ibrahim’s diverse practice: In Transit, Traces Made Visible, Shapeshifters, and Where the Land Turns to Play. Featured are his recent cloud and insect series, black-and-white rhythmic works, and selections from the 'Sitting Man' series (2010–2015). The never-before-seen 'Sitting Woman Only One' (2010) is also included.

Ibrahim’s land art interventions reappear in archival pieces like Draped Trees (1996) and Khorfakkan Circles (2004). A newly commissioned installation Time | Place | Void (2025) invites visitors into temporal and environmental dimensions of his practice through architectural embodiments of his line drawings.

The final section features Touchable (2025), a piece designed for tactile engagement. Outdoors at Al Hosn site, visitors can see Al Ain Oasis (2023), commissioned by Abu Dhabi Art as a tribute to UAE landscapes. The exhibition revisits Ibrahim’s landmark 1991 solo show with ‘Untitled’, a rarely seen painting from that time.

Curatorial Insights

Curated by Noor AlMehairbi and Medyyah AlTamimi with support from Lawrie Shabibi, this exhibition affirms Ibrahim's legacy as an influential pioneer artist in the UAE. It showcases his evolving dialogue with nature, language, and memory through new and recent works.

Running alongside is ‘And After’, curated by Dirwaza Curatorial Lab. It features artists like Razan Al Sarraf and Iman Shaggag among others. This exhibition examines air elements through Arabic terminology: Sukoon (stillness), Hawa (gentle air), Naseem (breeze), and Riyah (winds).

Connecting Nature and Culture

‘And After’ explores how air movement changes with each state. As cooler months arrive, it highlights how subtle weather changes reshape environments and perceptions. Transitions between Sukoon and Hawaa evoke moments of suspension or stillness before daybreak.

This exhibition invites visitors to witness transformation beginnings while appreciating Arabic language and cultural heritage. It encourages connections between nature, language, and art through these quiet intervals.

Both exhibitions align with DCT Abu Dhabi’s mission to preserve cultural heritage while fostering contemporary artistic expression spaces within the emirate.

With inputs from WAM