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Beyond Emerging Artists 2025: Meet This Year’s Selected Creatives

Abu Dhabi, July 2025 – Abu Dhabi Art’s annual Beyond Emerging Artists programme is back with a new wave of talent. This year, three artists have been selected: Emirati artists Salmah Al Mansoori and Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum, alongside Libyan artist Alla Abdunabi. Together, they will present new commissioned works that reflect their personal and cultural histories, as part of the 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Art, taking place from November 19 to 23 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

 

A Platform for Bold New Work

The Beyond Emerging Artists programme offers a year-long opportunity for artists based in the UAE to develop new projects under the guidance of a curator. These works are then revealed at Abu Dhabi Art and later exhibited internationally, helping young artists gain global exposure. This year’s edition is curated by Issam Kourbaj, a Syrian artist known for his work in prestigious museums like the British Museum, Amsterdam’s Tropenmuseum, and the Penn Museum in Philadelphia.

 

“It was challenging to select just three from so many exciting emerging artists,” Kourbaj said. “Young artists across the region are increasingly focused on exploring urgent environmental, social and historical themes.”

Kourbaj added that the artists’ work will be inspired by Al Ain, a city rich with history and cultural significance, serving both as a setting and a source for their creative process.

Artist Reflections

Each of the three selected artists brings a unique voice and vision to the programme:

 

  • Salmah Al Mansoori, a multidisciplinary artist from the UAE, is known for documenting overlooked places and stories. Her work often deals with memory, absence and the emotional landscape of lost spaces. She shared:

    “I want to share stories from my hometown that are often overlooked.”

  • Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum, also from the UAE, creates art rooted in folklore, surrealism and storytelling. He explores themes such as time, value and belief systems. Reflecting on the programme, he said:

    “I’m looking forward to investigating the archaeological histories of our country in sites such as the ones found in Al Ain.”

  • Alla Abdunabi, a Libyan artist based in the UAE, works with sculpture and installation to explore themes of heritage, material memory and forgotten narratives. She commented:

    “I hope to create a site-specific work that listens to the buried histories of the land.”

 

A Global Stage

After their debut in Abu Dhabi, the commissioned works will be presented internationally. This global outreach has become a hallmark of the programme. Last year’s artists—Fatma Al Ali, Dina Nazmi Khorchid and Simrin Mehra Agarwal—are currently exhibiting in Hong Kong, with a London showcase to follow.

 

“We are proud to present the 2025 edition of Beyond Emerging Artists in Hong Kong for the very first time,” said Afra Almteiri, Acting Unit Head of Abu Dhabi Art Programmes. “It reflects our commitment to building cultural bridges and promoting emerging talent from the UAE on a global stage.”

 

Looking Ahead

With support from Abu Dhabi Art and the mentorship of Issam Kourbaj, Salmah Al Mansoori, Maktoum Al Maktoum and Alla Abdunabi are set to present powerful, place-rooted works this November. Their projects promise to shed new light on identity, memory, and the deep histories embedded in the landscape of Al Ain.