Women and Art in the Emirates

"Talent, not gender, is what should define you in the world of art,” affirmed Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development of the United Arab Emirates. And it is talent which is the common denominator among some of the most important names in the artistic scene in Dubai and the Emirates. One of the most important and influential curators on an international level is Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, who, at just 22 years old, took on the direction of the Biennial of Sharjah, making it one of the world’s most interesting art events. She also founded the Sharjah Art Foundation in 2009, through which numerous activities contributed in transforming the artistic scene of the Emirates into a powerful nexus and incubator of ideas. Meanwhile, her colleague, Manal Ataya, Director-General of the Sharjah Museums Authority, is in charge of the overall management of 17 museums and the strategic development of future museum projects. And the art district, Alserkal Avenue, is also in the hands of a woman, Vilma Jurkute. Britain’s Antonia Carver, once director of Art Dubai, now in charge of Art Jameel, has always pointed out, as well as demonstrating it through her own career, just how significant the female presence is in the local art scene. And there are top flight artists as well, like Shaikha Al Mazrou and Sarah Almehairi, and the number of female artists is also surely destined to increase.