These local artists will present new work at Manarat Al Saadiyat under the guidance of guest curator Issam Kourbaj
Abu Dhabi Art has unveiled the selected artists for the 2025 edition of Beyond Emerging Artists (BEA); an annual initiative commissioning new work from UAE-based emerging talent.
This year’s programme will be curated by internationally renowned artist Issam Kourbaj, with the final works to be unveiled at the fair from 19–23 November 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and exhibited internationally thereafter.
The 2025 BEA participants are Alla Abdunabi, Salmah Almansoori, and Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum; all of whom engage with themes of identity, memory, and the layered histories of place.
Their works will be developed through a mentorship programme and inspired by Al Ain as a conceptual starting point.
MEET THE 2025 ARTISTS
Alla Abdunabi
View this post on Instagram
A visual artist focused on sculpture and installation, Abdunabi explores the afterlives of objects by weaving historical, fictional, and personal narratives.
“I’ll be exploring object histories and creating a site-specific work that listens to the buried histories of the land.”
You might also like: Sun-drenched dreams: ‘Summered’ opens this July at Artbooth Gallery
Salmah Almansoori
View this post on Instagram
Working across painting, sculpture, and installation, Almansoori draws on memory and overlooked details of her hometown to explore displacement, identity, and emotional inheritance.
“This opportunity allows me to share stories from my hometown that are often overlooked; reflecting on transformation, loss, and belonging.”
Maktoum Marwan Al Maktoum
A multidisciplinary artist, his work navigates themes such as value, time, and belief through storytelling, surrealism, and cultural memory.
“I’m excited to continue my world-building approach while engaging with the archaeological histories of Al Ain.”
Beyond Emerging Artists Internationally
Works from the 2024 BEA cohort, Fatma Al Ali, Dina Nazmi Khorchid, and Simrin Mehra Agarwal, are currently on view in a travelling exhibition at Sotheby’s Maison, Hong Kong (15–27 July 2025), and will later be shown in London, marking BEA’s first showcase in East Asia.
19–23 November at Manarat Al Saadiyat. For further information, visit Abu Dhabi Art
Follow Yalla for all the latest news