Azza Al Qubaisi: Between Land and Sea

Azza Al Qubaisi: Between Land and Sea is a solo exhibition of sculpture and jewellery by the Emirati artist Azza Al Qubaisi at Leila Heller Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai. It runs from 23 September to 10 November 2026. The gallery lists sixty-three works made between 2006 and 2026: sculptures in mild and stainless steel, gold-plated steel and asphalt, and jewellery in gold, silver, oud, pearl and diamond.

Most of the sculptures belong to series. The Dune Series is represented by three works from 2026 and by Dune 04 from 2022. Dunes 1.2 (2023), a mild steel form of 290 x 126 x 156 cm, is also listed. Root 02 (2023) and Root 06 (2024) come from the Root series. Foundation 01 (2009) and Foundation 4 (2022), which measures 200 x 710 x 510 cm, come from the Foundation series. Land and Sea (2026), in mild and stainless steel, shares its name with the exhibition. The seven works of the Treasure Series (2023) are in mild steel, five of them gold-plated. Abaya (Metaphor) (2021) is also in mild steel. The Sustainability Series covers the whole period. Its eleven pieces from 2006 carry titles such as Geothermal, Photovoltaic, Wind and Nuclear. Two pieces from 2026 are in asphalt: Wisdom 2, with gold, measuring 8 cm on each side, and Wisdom 3, with stainless steel.

The jewellery goes back to the start of the same period. Bareeq Al Oud (2006) sets oud with stone and gold, and Marine Symphony (2006) is worked in silver. The ten pieces of the Angel Tears Collection (2007) are in 18-carat gold, nine of them set with diamonds or pearls. Al Joud (2017) sets oud in 18k gold, most pieces with diamonds. The Pearl Kish and Pearl Barok collections date from 2015 to 2023. In the gallery's account, the work draws on the desert, on Emirati crafts and heritage, and on a concern for sustainability and cultural preservation.

Al Qubaisi was born in Abu Dhabi in 1978. She studied at London Guildhall University and took an MA in Cultural and Creative Industries in Abu Dhabi. This is her second solo exhibition at the gallery, after Azza Al Qubaisi: Between The Dune Lines in 2022. In 2024 she took part in its group show ...I Kept The Night Vigil..., curated by Behrang Samadzadegan. The gallery opens from 10am to 7pm on weekdays and from 11am to 7pm at weekends.