Abdullah Al Saadi Emirati, b. 1967
Abdullah Al Saadi (b. Khorfakkan, UAE, 1967) is an Emirati conceptual artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans drawing, painting, sculpture, performance, and archival processes. Working through a deeply introspective and process-driven approach, he engages with themes of memory, landscape, and personal history. His work often unfolds through walking journeys across the mountainous terrains of the UAE and Oman, where he documents his experiences through handwritten notes, diagrams, maps, and collected natural materials, transforming these into poetic and coded visual narratives. Al Saadi’s solo exhibitions include Al Toubay at Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE (2014); Finale / Sweet Potato at Emirates Fine Arts Society, Sharjah, UAE (2008); Sharm Café, Fujairah, UAE (1999); I Am in Japan at Emirates Fine Arts Society, Sharjah, UAE (1997); and earlier solo presentations at Emirates Fine Arts Society (1994) and UAE University, Al Ain (1989). His work has been featured in major international exhibitions and biennials, including the 60th International Art Exhibition – Venice Biennale (2024), as well as previous editions of the Venice Biennale (2009, 2011, 2017); Sharjah Biennial (2007, 2011, 2015); the São Paulo Biennale (2004); Aichi Triennale, Nagoya, Japan (2016); Lahore Biennale (2020); and institutional exhibitions such as Here and Elsewhere at the New Museum, New York (2014), and presentations at Louvre Abu Dhabi (2022) and Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah (2023).
