Stephany Sanossian Highlights Art Dubai 2021

DUBAI – In the age of Instagram and all digital outlets, it is so  important to see art and appreciate the artist’s work in person. In its 14th iteration, Art Dubai was one of the first institutions in the world to provide the opportunity of attending a physical art fair since the coronavirus outbreak in March 2019.

My name is Stephany Sanossian and I attended this year’s Art Dubai and brought to artmejo my favourite picks from the fair! After seeing over 100 works by artists from all over the globe, I was truly inspired by each and it was tough to pick and choose! Out of everything, here are my highlights of Art Dubai 2021:

JR, Galleria Continua:

JR at the Louvre Museum, images courtesy of Stephany Sanossian and the artist’s website, Galleria Continua at Art Dubai 2021

Do you know the feeling of loving something so much, especially because you grew up watching it grow with you too? That’s exactly how I feel about the artist JR. He is a French visual artist and photographer that urges viewers to ask questions and be curious. Images of his 2019 monumental project at The Louvre were included at Galleria Continua’s Art Dubai participation.

Youssef Nabil, Galerie Obadia:

Youssef Nabil, Natacha and Crown, courtesy of Galerie Nathalie Obadia

If you haven’t heard of Youssef Nabil, this is a fantastic introduction. Nabil is an Egyptian filmmaker/artist. His work highlights the golden age of Egyptian cinema and has recurring themes of loneliness and timelessness. All you need to do is look closely at his work to see what I mean! I saw this work featuring singer Natacha Atlas under Galerie Obadia’s booth.

ATHR Gallery:

ATHR Art booth view at Art Dubai via the gallery’s Instagram

What makes you stop and stare at a particular artwork?

For me, it is two things. One, the uniqueness of the work. Two, the artist’s ability to take me inside their thoughts and own world using a simple piece of work.

ATHR Art is a Saudi Arabian contemporary art gallery with a spectacular booth at Art Dubai. Curated by Alaa Tarabzouni, the gallery was representing artists Sara Abu Abdallah, Mohammad Alfaraj and Ahaad Al Amoudi.

Julien Boudet, Stems Gallery:

Broken Dreams, Julien Boudett at Stems Gallery via the artist’s Instagram

Julien Boudet aka bleumode, is one artist I met on Instagram. His work truly inspires and speaks to me. At Stems Gallery’s booth, one of Boudet’s exhibited works was Broken Dreams, an installation of 9 found, washed and polished tire rims.

Safwan Dahoul, Ayyam Gallery:

Stephany Sanossian posing in front of Safwan Dahoul’s work at Ayyam Gallery’s booth in Art Dubai 2021

Safwan Dahoul is a Syrian Painter whose style stands for itself. His work features black and white scenes that make viewers feel safe as apposed to sad. Dahoul’s work is larger than life, this is quite prominent in the scale of the exhibited paintings at Ayyam Gallery.

Alia Ali, Galerie Peter Sillem:

Stephany Sanossian posing in front of Alia Ali’s work at Galerie Peter Sillem’s booth in Art Dubai 2021

Alia Ali always brings a new way for doing mixed media to the table. The Yemeni-Bosnian artist’s work is so expressive that it makes you want to become a part of the work itself. Galerie Peter Sillem showcased Ali’s FLUX series that beautifully stood out in the Art Dubai showrooms.

I hope you enjoyed my top picks list from this year’s Art Dubai. If you missed my Instagram takeover of the fair, you can watch it on artmejo’s highlights here. Thanks and see you next year in Art Dubai!