‘Al Nayed’ Exhibit Highlights Abdul Qader Al Rais’s Artistic Legacy

Opera Gallery Dubai is presenting ‘Al Nayed’, a solo exhibition by Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al Rais, running from March 26th to April 8th. The show offers a survey of more than five decades of work by one of the UAE’s most influential figures in modern and abstract art.
Born in 1951, Al Rais began his artistic career in the 1960s and has since exhibited internationally, with works shown at institutions including Louvre Abu Dhabi and the British Museum.
The exhibition traces the evolution of his practice, bringing together five of his most recognised series, alongside works from his private collection and several pieces being presented publicly for the first time.
Al Rais is known for blending impressionistic and abstract techniques with Arabic calligraphy. His compositions often draw on Emirati heritage, incorporating motifs such as the Ghaf tree alongside geometric structures and dispersed Arabic letterforms set against layered landscapes and bold colour fields. Through these elements, traditional references are reinterpreted within a contemporary visual language.