Artwork by Diana Mardini.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Urbanist Art Gallery, Box Park, Dubai, has inaugurated the 3rd edition of the UA Collective group exhibition (July 25 – Aug. 15). It features a rich tapestry of artistic expression from a diverse group of talented artists from around the world, showing their works.The exhibition invites viewers to embark on a journey, with every brushstroke telling a story relating to the artist’s context; each of them reveal his or her unique ways of seeing life. Featured artists are Aisha Ipekli, whose works are a fusion of traditional techniques and contemporary abstraction. They explore the delicate balance between cultural heritage and modern aesthetics.

Diana Mardini captivates with her emotive, surreal compositions that blur the lines between dreamlike visions and vivid reality. “In my paintings,” Mardini says, “characters live in their own world, telling stories that reflect our experiences and memories. I explore the blurred line between dreams and reality, drawing inspiration from human emotions and psychological states.” Dinal Jalil’s art is marked by intricate patterns and textures, weaving narratives that blend historical influences and avant-garde innovation. Jalil is a graduate of a fashion school and perhaps this is why her creations have a strong sense of design.

Kateryna Plyva’s vibrant and dynamic pieces are known for their bold colour palettes and expressive brushwork, reflecting a deep connection to personal and universal themes. Her ‘Arabian Stallion’ is a powerful masterpiece that captures the essence of struggle amidst hostility. The painting portrays an Arabian stallion confronting adversity with genuine and furious power. Each stroke vividly conveys the intensity of the horse’s resilience, making the artwork a visual testament to indomitable spirit and strength in the face of challenges. Her art conveys a powerful message of the profound values that define life in the Gulf region, where the relentless strength of nature has forged a counter legacy of adaptation and resilience, for centuries.

  Kateryna Plyva’s vibrant artwork.

Lama Alsheikh’s mixed-media works combine geometric precision with organic forms, creating dialogues between structure and fluidity. “Daydreaming and imagination were significantly a major part of my childhood and later on the inspiration behind my artwork,” she says. “As an artist, I don’t belong to a single subject matter or a specific artistic school. My creative process is a journey guided by emotions, psychological mystery and the ever-shifting currents of the world around me.”

Lina Alkateb’s minimalist approach uses subtle colours and forms, attempting to evoke emotional responses and contemplative moments. She portrays a group of characters, with individual states and expressions, narrating their personal stories. We see anxiety in the eyes of those who hide behind strict social beliefs that shut out new ideas; they are immersed in gloomy lives that look towards the unknown future. We see stone heads that conceal those who have chosen to remain in their illusory perfect worlds, trapped in shells of inauthenticity out of fear of seeing the truth; their ideas and emotions solidify in that condition. “The impressions and reactions of the characters vary between confrontation, escape, attempts to change, stagnation, and surrender,” notes the artist.

Mahmoud Dayoub’s works fuse industrial materials and organic elements, challenging traditional notions of form and materiality. The drawings of this Syrian artist create a visual revolution that places us in the context of beasts, strange beings and creatures that are organically and specifically linked to the story of the Russian writer Nikolai Kostomarov, though they have an independent existence. Muatasim Omar’s abstract paintings feature complex layering and rich textures, engaging viewers in a visual exploration of space and emotion. He is a Sudanese professional and visual artist born in Omdurman, Sudan, in 1957. His abstract paintings reflect the rich cultural and visual influences from his early life, allowing viewers to interpret them in their own ways. His artwork is part of collections in Sudan, the UK, France, the UAE, and the USA.

Omar Al Akhras’s works are characterised by their vivid, kinetic energy and innovative use of space, merging traditional motifs with contemporary expression. In his paintings and murals, he mixes symbolism and realism; he relies on the idea as a basis for design, reflected through his own style of mixing artistic schools. He often bases his paintings in black as an indication of the darkness through which the luminous elements of the painting stand out. Ruba Abu Shousheh’s art combines intricate details and vibrant hues to create visually stimulating pieces which explore themes of identity and transformation. A creative designer and artist adept at teaching contemporary and traditional art, she has extensive knowledge of her subject with nearly one-and-a-half decades of experience. She holds workshops for students and has participated in numerous exhibitions in several countries, winning many distinctions and awards.

Sara Otabashi’s compositions offer a fresh perspective on natural forms through her experimental use of colour and form, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with the past. She was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1997, and studied Fine Arts at Damascus University, Department of Drawing and Painting, from where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 2019. Currently, she works full-time in arts. At Urbanist, she is showing her work ‘Home’. “I’m trying to show how beautiful our heritage is, how rich our culture is, and how unique and appealing its complex details are,” she says. “I created a collage combining pictures of the home of Damascus, using mixed media and neutral colours that feel familiar to us, trying to show a new perspective and different view.”