Abu Dhabi Art has announced the artists selected for its 2025 Artist Commissions in Cultural Sites programme, set to open to the public in Al Ain on the 19th November 2025.
Issam Kourbaj. Courtesy Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge
The initiative will run until the 26th April 2026 and features new works by Abu Dhabi-based artists Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian, alongside Nigerian textile artist Nike Davies-Okundaye and Syrian-born artist Issam Kourbaj.
Supported by Abu Dhabi Art’s Global Partner, HSBC, the programme continues to bridge contemporary artistic practice with the UAE’s historic landscape. Through its partnership, HSBC reinforces its commitment to expanding cultural access and fostering artistic dialogue across communities.
Portrait of Nike Davies-Okundaye. Image Credit Courtesy of Nike Davies-Okundaye
The trio of Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian will present Luminous Shadow at Hili Archaeological Park, the largest Bronze Age site in the Emirates. Their sculptural work, The Arch, draws inspiration from the fluid forms of Arabic and Pahlavi scripts, interpreting them as visual representations of sound. “At Hili Archaeological Park, the largest Bronze Age site in the Emirates, the Arch rises from the silent depths of the sand. We are honoured to be participating in this edition of Abu Dhabi Art’s public art commissions, a moment that allows us to bring this work into dialogue with such an ancient and significant site,” the trio said.
At Al Ain Oasis, Nike Davies-Okundaye will unveil a large-scale tapestry installation combining embroidery, appliqué and adire, a hand-dyed cotton textile technique. Drawing from the symbolic backdrops of 1950s Yoruba travelling theatre, her work explores the palm tree’s role within the oasis ecosystem. “Art connects people, and I’m grateful for this chance to keep building that connection through creativity and tradition,” Davies-Okundaye said.
Issam Kourbaj’s contribution will see a series of camera obscura installations placed across key sites in Al Ain, including Al Qattara Oasis. The interactive works encourage visitors to experience the landscape through the interplay of light, vision and history.
Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Hesam Rahmanian
“Through the lens of the camera obscura, I explore the word Al Ain, in Arabic, as both eye and spring, revealing the delicate interplay between perception, place, and time,” said Kourbaj.
