What happens when you bring radical, rule-breaking performance art to a society in the middle of an unprecedented economic boom? In this second episode of Art History by Exhibo, cultural historian Layla Hourani examines the life, methods, and sheer defiance of Hassan Sharif—the man widely regarded as the godfather of contemporary and conceptual art in the Gulf.

Before he became a polarizing avant-garde figure, Sharif was a young satirical caricaturist in 1970s Dubai, drawing sharp, ironical cartoons that poked fun at land speculation, rapid industrialisation, and consumerist greed. This episode traces his evolution from a print satirist to a boundary-pushing conceptualist. We follow his journey to London in 1979 to study at the Byam Shaw School of Art, where he was mentored by Tam Giles and exposed to British Constructivism, Fluxus, and the systemic processes of Dada.

We dissect Sharif’s two most famous methodologies: his mathematical 'Semi-Systems' and his monumental 'Objects'. Inspired by Kenneth Martin’s 'Chance and Order', his Semi-Systems were rule-based line drawings that deliberately embraced human mistakes, proving his famous thesis that "art is a result of errors". Meanwhile, his 'Objects'—massive, laboriously woven heaps of cheap, mass-produced plastic cups, flip-flops, and wire purchased from the markets of Satwa—served as a direct, playful critique of Gulf consumerism.

Layla takes us to the edges of the city to reconstruct Sharif’s early desert performances, such as jumping in the Hatta desert or tying ropes between rocks. These absurd, task-based interventions baffled local onlookers but fundamentally challenged traditional ideas of technical mastery. Finally, we explore his legacy as a teacher, writer, and translator who translated complex Western art theory into Arabic to quite literally cultivate his own viewers. As Sharif famously noted: "I didn’t only make art, but I made my audience too."

Hassan Sharif’s radical actions laid the quiet, essential foundations for the entire modern UAE creative ecosystem. To see how his legacy of experimental freedom has grown into a world-class gallery landscape, explore modern spaces, archives, and contemporary artist studios today through the curated Exhibo Dubai Art Directory: https://exhibo.art/cities/dubai

Before the skyscrapers, the art fairs, and the air-conditioned gallery districts, there was the wind, the sea, and the sand. In this premiere episode of Art History by Exhibo, host Layla Hourani takes us back to the Trucial States of the mid-twentieth century—a world dictated by water and season, where the modern concept of "fine art" did not yet exist.

It is easy to look at the historical map of the pre-union Gulf and assume a visual silence. This episode challenges that assumption, exploring how artistic expression was carried not on canvas, but in the hands. We look at the physical materials of survival: Bedouin women spinning sheep wool and camel hair on ground looms to weave the dense, geometric patterns of Sadu; shipwrights carving intricate floral reliefs into the teak prows of cargo dhows without a single blueprint; and the haunting, rhythmic sea songs of the pearling fleets.

Layla also unpacks a long-standing historical question: why did easel painting arrive so late to the Emirates compared to other Arab cultural capitals like Cairo or Baghdad? The answer lies in the sheer practicality of nomadic life—where carrying fragile, stretched canvases across the desert was impossible—and a deep cultural devotion to the mathematical order of calligraphy and plaster carving rather than figurative representation.

We then trace the sharp pivot of the 1960s. With the first exports of crude oil came formal schools, foreign teachers, and the sudden introduction of blank paper and watercolour tins. This material shift birthed the first generation of modern Emirati painters, including Abdul Qader Al Rais, who used realistic oil painting to document the fast-disappearing mud-brick architecture of his childhood.

This is the story of how a culture moved from the utility of the loom to the self-expression of the canvas, laying the groundwork for the booming Middle Eastern art market we see today.

If you are planning to visit the region and want to see how this rich heritage has transformed into one of the most dynamic contemporary art scenes in the world, you can explore the galleries, creative hubs, and historic quarters active today in our Exhibo Dubai Art Guide.