10 Must-See Shows from Middle Eastern Galleries You Can View

Over the past year, the art world has made a conscious effort to highlight voices beyond the narrow confines of the West, amplifying unheard voices and moving away from the long-dominant white male gaze. Perhaps one of the most exciting hotspots within our increasingly global art world is the Middle East. Southwest Asia and North Africa have long histories of art and culture, from Baalbek in Lebanon to Al Ula in Saudi Arabia. And these ancient traditions of visual culture persevere today, with the region’s current fame for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, and so much more. To coincide with Artsy’s spotlight on the region, Middle Eastern Galleries Now, we’re highlighting 10 standout shows, which are viewable online through the end of March.

 

Cairo’s Gypsum Gallery presents a multidisciplinary selection of works from a multigenerational group of artists, with the subtle theme of time appearing throughout. Highlights include works by  , an artist whose career spans seven decades, and whose practice is described as offering “a mystical meditation of the remembrance and passage of time.” An untitled 2016 painting by Morsi pictures three pairs of eyes, with a clock set to 9:00 in the background.

This imagery is mirrored in  ’s collage MNMLs56 Series Vertical Whitener (2020), which shows a Rolex advertisement alongside a man scaling a mountain. We are also presented with the work of  , who presents us with a satirical view of the world through spaces that are simultaneously retro and futuristic, existing beyond the confines of time as we know it.

Browse Gypsum Gallery’s online show.

 

Hafez Gallery, which is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is showcasing a wide array of artists. Notable works include  ’s silkscreen Superman prints on Persian carpets and  ’s The Happy Box (ca. 2021), a three-dimensional artwork that recalls the plastic toys we played with as children.

The gallery is also presenting a number of paintings, including vibrant still lifes by   and figurative works by  , who is known for his use of negative space. The latter artist’s works featured here focus on gated communities, the fauna and flora within them, and the people who work and live there.

Another notable piece is a neon light work by   titled What The next Ensuing State Will Be (2019)—a statement that resonates with the current moment, as we imagine the future in the wake of a very surreal year.