Fatma Lootah

Exhibitions

Exhibitions, commissions, fairs and series, from the first group exhibition of art in the UAE, in 1972, to today.

Landmark projects

Chronology

1972–1989

  • 1972First group exhibition of art in the UAEDubai Public Library, Dubai · group exhibition, with the artist among its youngest participants
  • 1984Meta Gallery, Bolzano, ItalyFirst solo exhibition
  • 1985Milan, ItalyPerformance art, within the Italian avant-garde scene
  • 1986Toni di Rossi Art Gallery, Verona, ItalyGallery exhibition
  • 1986–87Rossana Chessi Art Gallery, Reggio Emilia, ItalyGallery exhibitions
  • 1987MoroccoPerformance art

1990–2009

  • 1993Sharjah Biennial, Sharjah, UAEBiennial
  • 2000Geneva, SwitzerlandExhibition
  • 2001–04Paris, FranceExhibitions over 4 consecutive years
  • 2005Bahrain Art Center, BahrainExhibition
  • 2006Munich, GermanyExhibition
  • 2009Desert and the People of the Reddish Dune, DubaiFirst solo exhibition in Dubai
  • 2009Ghazal, DubaiSolo exhibition, opened by Ibrahim Bu Melha, cultural adviser to H.H. the Ruler of Dubai

2010–2017

  • 2011SIKKA Art Fair, Al Bastakiya, DubaiVisited by H.H. Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
  • 2012SIKKA Art Fair, Al Fahidi, DubaiWhispers from High Heavens
  • 20125th Sharjah Calligraphy Forum, SharjahForum Prize, Applied Direction · light installations with Arabic script
  • 2013Watan, Cultural and Scientific Association, Al Mamzar, DubaiSolo exhibition on homeland, memory and belonging
  • 2014Women Scented in OudFigurative series celebrating the strength and beauty of Arab women
  • 2014Eid Swings in GazaSeries dedicated to the children of Gaza
  • 2014Land of Peace, FujairahSolo exhibition, opened by Sheikh Dr. Rashid bin Hamad Al Sharqi
  • 2015Abu Dhabi Festival, Emirates Palace, Abu DhabiCommissioned artist · Perfume of the Earth
  • 2015–16QatarExhibitions
  • 2016Portrait of a Nation, ADMAF, Emirates Palace, Abu DhabiInstitutional survey of Emirati art
  • 2016New Delhi, IndiaExhibition
  • 2017Portrait of a Nation, me Collectors Room / Olbricht Foundation, BerlinInternational museum presentation of Emirati art
  • 2017Jordan · Istanbul, Turkey · Cairo, EgyptExhibitions

2018–2023

  • 2018Nasdaq Artist in Residence, Times Square, New YorkWorks shown on the Nasdaq MarketSite tower
  • 2018Mediterranean Art Festival, SpainInternational festival
  • 2018Art Dubai, DubaiInternational art fair
  • 2018Al Jawhar 2, Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation, DubaiGroup exhibition
  • 2018–19Miraj, 21st Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, Al Majaz WaterfrontMonumental installation on ascension and transformation
  • 2019Ghaf Tree seriesBody of work created for the UAE Year of Tolerance
  • 2019SIKKA Art Fair, DubaiArt festival
  • 2019Amman, JordanExhibition
  • 2021Older Than Love, The Workshop, DubaiWorks shown alongside Martina Zanin’s project, with the Italian Cultural Institute Abu Dhabi
  • 2021–22Expo 2020 DubaiWorld Expo · pavilion presentation of her work
  • 2022While the Coffee Grounds Settle: Stories from Women in the UAE, Fathom Gallery, Washington D.C.Curated group exhibition with the UAE Embassy in Washington
  • 2023Reality Show, Fann À Porter × ZAAT, DubaiGroup exhibition
  • 2023SIKKA Art & Design Festival, House 35, DubaiEarth · 11th edition
  • 2023Heritage and Creativity, Emirates Fine Arts Society, SharjahGroup exhibition during Sharjah Heritage Days

2024–2026

  • 2024SIKKA Art & Design Festival, House 207, DubaiArtists Showcase
  • 2024The Sky Above Gaza… Imagine, Fire Station, DohaGroup exhibition of more than 50 Arab artists · Where To?
  • 2024MENART Fair, ParisInternational art fair, with Khawla Art Gallery
  • 2025Elysian Awakening, RARARES Gallery, DIFC, DubaiGroup exhibition
  • 2025A Tribute Through Art, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, DubaiSolo pop-up for Emirati Women’s Day, with RARARES Gallery
  • 2025Abu Dhabi Art, Manarat Al SaadiyatInternational art fair, with Khawla Art Gallery
  • 2025Noor ʿAla Noor, Dhai Dubai, Al Wasl Plaza, Expo City DubaiMonumental light installation across the 130-metre dome · first Emirati artist to use the landmark as a canvas
  • 2025Voices & Visions, Khawla Art & Culture, Abu DhabiGroup exhibition of Arab women artists
  • 2025VOLTA Basel, SwitzerlandInternational art fair, with Khawla Art Gallery · MENA Pavilion
  • 2025–26Siraj, Sharjah Calligraphy MuseumMuseum exhibition · 26th Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival
  • 2026Wishes, commissioned by OMNIYAT, DubaiPainting for the developer’s 20th anniversary
  • 2026Under the Ghaf Tree. Where Everything Belongs, RARARES Gallery, DIFCSolo exhibition
  • 2026Art Dubai, Special Edition, Madinat JumeirahDigital section · Natura Naturans, Natura Naturata, with Chunkook Lee (RARARES Gallery) · installation The Earth
  • 2026Art in the Middle × ME DubaiExhibition for Emirati Women’s Day
  • 2026Muscat Art, Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, MuscatGuest artist at the 5th edition, themed Art Is Everywhere