Artist residency exhibition

Fann À Porter's Artist residency exhibition shows work by Lynn Issa, Yang Lan and Yara Chaalan, the first cohort of the gallery's Summer 2026 residency. It runs at the gallery in Jumeirah 2, Dubai, from 12 September to 14 October 2026.

The residency began with an open call in the spring. It gave UAE-based artists a studio for three months and mentorship from the gallery team and visiting artists and curators. Working across sculpture, painting, collage and charcoal drawing on paper, the three artists responded to themes of place, longing, memory and experiences of womanhood. The gallery lists six works, all from 2026.

Lynn Issa, a Syrian artist based in Sharjah, extends her series Sacred Mothers of the Earth. The series began in 2018 around the female figure, with the Venus of Willendorf as a key reference. "Issa explores the figure as a site of tension or contradiction, shaped by societal expectations and internalized perceptions," the gallery writes. She shows acrylic and charcoal works on paper, collaged and layered canvases and a papier-mâché figurative sculpture. She has shown in group exhibitions in Syria and Iraq. In 2021 and 2022 she made murals and led workshops for the Mashta al Helu Cultural Festival in Syria.

Yang Lan painted landscapes from her memories of China, Jordan and North America in oil, including Sandstorm and Spring Flower Field. She holds MFAs from the University of Saskatchewan and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her BA in Visual Arts (Painting) is from the University of Jordan.

Yara Chaalan, a Lebanese artist who lives and works in Dubai, made oil paintings and embroidered works on textile during the residency. El Arz and Falougha are on the works list. The gallery relates her work to Surrealism, ecofeminism and the landscapes of Lebanon. She holds a BFA from the Lebanese American University, Beirut, and a master's from the Master Institute of Visual Cultures, Den Bosch.