The Abu Dhabi-based Iris Projects is presenting two emerging artists, Safeya Sharif and Alyazia Al Nahyan. Its founder Maryam Al Falasi says their works are attracting attention from collectors and institutions alike. “We chose two artists from Dubai, both from Gen-Z,” Al Falasi says. “Both of them draw from nature. Alyazia extracts pigments from natural materials, dyes fabrics and creates abstract landscapes.”
Sharif, meanwhile, bases her work on satellite imagery of sand dunes, documenting how they travel and morph according to the weather. A trio of palm-sized works, for instance, shows how dune ridges were reformed during the 2024 floods.
Al Falasi says there are several collectors that are particularly interested in Sharif’s Lines of Persistence, a large wall-mounted sculpture that depicts the lateral movements of sand dunes. The work is priced at $10,000. “There is also an institution that is interested in acquiring works by Alyazia, which range from $5,500 to $9,000.”