Biography

Ebtisam Abdulaziz

UAE

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Photography

Gallery image

Lives between Abu Dhabi and Washington DC

Ebtisam is a multidisciplinary artist and writer, holds a bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics from the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain. Abdulaziz incorporates her unique perspective on mathematics and the structures of systems to explore issues of identity and culture through installations, performance pieces, video, paintings and works on paper. Her works are evidence of a fascination with systemic ways to produce emotionally or intellectually meaningful forms of expression.

Combining the scientific with the arbitrary, at times juxtaposing the two in order to force the viewer to question their assumptions about rules in the natural and formulaic world. The variety in shapes and materials are exhibited for different purposes, Some document the accelerating times, others present an alternative concept to the accelerating change in our environment. Ebtisam dealt with everyday issues, specifically  psychological poignancies; issues like life and death, happiness, sorrow, love, hate and jealousy, as well as human situations  such as social injustice, equality, race, religions, women and political Issues.

Abdulaziz has exhibited as part of the Inaugural UAE and ADACH Pavilions at 53rd Venice Biennale, as well as at the 7th & 10th Sharjah Biennial; Languages of the Desert, the Kunst Museum, Bonn, Germany; Dubai Next, a collaboration between the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Vitra Design Museum, Basel 2008; The Mori Art Museum, The Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, Benin Biennial 2012, Kora Centre, Benin. FotoFest Biennial, Art in Houston, Texas, US. Past Forward, contemporary art from the Emirates, Washington, DC, Los Angeles,CA, East Lansing,MI, Fort Worth, TX, Lexington,KY, Dallas,TX, Spokane,WA. Cara Gallery, Smack Mellon gallery in New York. NYUAD Art Gallery, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa, American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, The Florida Museum of photographic Arts.  Ebtisam is one of 100 powerful Arab women of 2013 list.

Solo Exhibitions:

2017. Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Blue Freedom, Curated by: Blair Murphy, DC Arts Center, Washington, DC, USA
2012. Ebtisam Abdulaziz, The Third Line Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2009. Ebtisam Abdulaziz, The Third Line at Bastakiya Art Fair, Dubai, UAE
2007. Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Sharjah Arab Contemporary Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE

Group Exhibitions:

2022. Montgomery College Spring 2022 Artist in Residency, Takoma Park/ Silver spring
2021. WPA , Auction. Washington, DC.
2020-2021. Group Exhibition, Art in Isolation: Creativity in the Time of COVID-19, Middle East institute, Washington DC, US.
2020. Love 4 Immigrants Virtual Art Healing Speaker Series & Exhibition, DC.
2020. The By the People X Monochrome collective Art Fair, Washington, DC
2019. AlBurda Endowment exhibition, Islamic art. Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi.
2019. Art Abu Dhabi, lead the visual campaign.
2019. contemporary Performance, Group Show, Curated by: Kalup Linzy, The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa, Florida.
2019. WPA , Auction. Washington, DC.
2018. Art OMI- international artist program, NY.
2018. Tribe: contemporary photography from the Arab world, American University Museum At the Katzen Arts Center, Washington DC. 
2018. From Barcelona to Abu Dhabi: work from MACBA art collection in Dialogue with the Emirates, group show, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhai, UAE.
2018. Gateway, Group show, Curated by: Maya Allison, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Hall X3, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2017. UPROOT Group Show, Curated by Gabriel de Guzman, Smack Mellon Gallery, NY, USA.
2017. Show at Arab Guld State Institute in Washington. DC. Gulf Arts & Culture Symposium.
2017. The Creative Act, Exhibition of work from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Collection, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2017. Group Exhibition “But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community, At NYUAD Art Gallery, AbuDhabi, UAE.
2016. Group Exhibition (Defy/ Define) at Transformer Gallery, Washington, Dc, USA.
2016. Art Talk and exhibition at Rhizome DC, Washington, DC, USA.
2016. Group exhibition Relevant Notes, june –july, Cara Gallery NY, USA.
2015. Emirates arts society annual exhibition, Sharjah Arts Museum, Sharjah, UAE
2015. Artist in Residence at The League Residency at Vyt.
2014. On Site,NYUAD Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi, UAE . November 1, 2014 - January 17, 2015
2014. Past Forward, contemporary art from the Emirates, Cafritz Galleries, White-Meyer House, 1624 Crescent Place, NW, Washington, DC 20009
2014. FotoFest Biennial, VIEW FROM INSIDE: Contemporary Arab Video, Photography and Mixed Media Art, the fifteenth international Biennial of Photography and Photo-related Art in Houston, Texas.
2014. Summer Group Exhibition at the third line, Dubai.
2014. FIAC, Art Fair, Third line Gallery booth, Paris, France.
2013. ‘Three Generations’ Marks the First-Sotheby’s London ,UK,
2013. 'Emirati Expressios'- Realised- Manarat Al Saadiyat , Abu Dhabi- U.A.E.
2013. "The Beginning of Thinking is Geometric"- Maraya Art Center, Sharjah- U.A.E.
2013. Sikka art, AiR (Artist in Residance), AlFahidi, Dubai
2012. Twenty Five Years of Creativity, Institute du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
2012. Arab Express, a group exhibition at The Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Inventing The World: The Artists as a Citizen, Benin Biennial
2012. Kora Centre, Benin Beyond The Frame, Residence of U.S Ambassador Michael Corbin, USA The 30th Emirates Fine Art Society’s Annual Exhibition, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE
2011. The Heart of Phoenix: Art and Culture of the United Arab Emirates-Sharjah, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Korea Roaming Images, Maraya Art Centre Al Qasba in collaboration with the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art of Greece. Women’s Circle Series, Sharjah Biennial 10, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE
2010. (Sharjah –Art from the Emirates) Group Exhibition at Denmark National Museum, Copenhagen.
2009. Biladi, Tashkeel, Dubai, UAE It’s Not You It’s Me, Inaugural UAE Pavillon at 53rd Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy Emirati Expressions, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2008. No Such Place (2), Photographic exhibition, Roger Smith Hotel, New York, USA Bahrain Culture Festival, Al Rewaq Gallery, Manama, Bahrain UAE House, XVA at the Creek Art Fair, Al Bastakiya, Dubai, UAE New Faces-New Visions Exhibition, DCTAC, Dubai, UAE
2007. Shalom: Post-card Exhibition, Christ Church, Contemporary Art Space, Gosford, Australia Self-Representation in the Arabian Gulf, Virginia Commonwealth Arts University, Doha, Qatar
2007. Portrait: Eight UAE Painters, Total Arts Gallery- Dubai, UAE
2007. Minus Reality, Art Attack Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2006. Nafas Exhibition, IFA, Berlin, Stuttgart, Germany
2005. Belief, 1st Singapore Biennale, Singapore 2005 Sharjah Biennial 7, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE
2004. Languages of the Desert Exhibition, Kunst Museum, Bonn, Germany 2004 LINE Exhibition, with Mohammed Kazem, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE
2001. Emirates Art Society Annual Exhibitions, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE

Bibliography:

2017. Guggenheim director on time frame for Abu Dhabi museum and latest Saadiyat exhibition http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/art/guggenheim-director-on-time-frame-for-abu-dhabi-museum-and-latest-saadiyat-exhibition
2017. A new exhibition at NYU Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi surveys one of the most important creative communities in UAE history http://www.harpersbazaararabia.com/art/exhibitions/a-uae-underground
2016. 7 Exciting Artists in the UAE, Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com/articles/7-exciting-artists-in-the-uae-1459456113
2012. Ebtisam Abdulaziz: Contemporary Emirati Conceptual Artist, AMA, January 2012
2011. Simpson, Colin, The National, Sharjah Biennale Enters Last Weekend with Workshops, pg 3, May 13, 2011 Simpson, Colin, The National, Sharjah Biennale Put Women in the Picture, pg. 5, April 12, 2011
2010. Smith, Syliva, BBC, Online 0TUwww.bbc.comU0TJohnson, Alice, Gulf News, Berlin-Dubai Cultural Festival Launched, Online 0TUwww.gulfnews.comU0T Moon, Timur, The National, Arts & Life, Archive UAE, November 2, 2010, pg. 1, 3
2009. The Guardian, United Arab Emirates Confronts Stereotypes in Venice Biennale Debut, June 4, 2009 Universe in Universe, Venice Biennale: It’s Not You, It’s Me, Online 0TUhttp://universes-in- universe.org/eng/bien/venice_biennale/2009/tour/united_arab_emiratesU0T
2009. Patel, Dave, Blank Canvas, w Magazine, pg 58 – 60, June 19
2009. Kadry, Mohamed, Life in a Bag, Khaleej Times, March 20
2009. Mosey, Karen Anne, The Sum of it All is About Bagging it Right, Khaleej Times, March 20 2009 Lake, Ed, Curator Says Pavilion will Challenge Cliches About UAE, The National, January 20
2008. Gulf News Supplement, Dubai Next, Dubai Now: Short Films and Video from the UAE, created by Bidoun Magazine, July 2008, pg. 9

Publications and Catalogues:

2007. Ebtisam Abdul-Aziz, Catalogue for Solo Exhibition, April
2012. Ebtisam Abdul-Aziz, Catalogue for Solo Exhibition, April

Affiliations:

2010 Art Centre Manager, Sharjah Ladies Club, Sharjah, UAE
2007 Member, Emirates photography competition jury, Abu Dhabi, UAE Member, Emirates Foundation Panel for Art Program Grant, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2006 Participant, Seminar with Department of Culture and Information, Directorate of Arabic Art, Art Center, UAE
Assistant Curator, Window Exhibition: 16 UAE Artists, Total Arts Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2005 Member since 2004, Al Taskeel Editors Magazine, Fine Art Society, UAE
1999 Member, Emirates Fine Art Society, Sharjah, UAE.Member, Dubai Youth Theater & Art Atelier, Dubai UAE

Collection:

Guggenheim Museum collection, Abdu Dhbai.UAE.
Collection of Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt, Germany
Arab Gulf State institute in Washington DC.
Renaut Collection, France.
Ministry of Culture & Youth, Abu Dhabi, UAE
ADMAF,AbuDhabi Music & Arts Foundation, UAE.
The Emirates Investment Bank private collection, Dubai, UAE.
Private collection of H. H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,, UAE Minister foreign affairs.
Private art collection of H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.
Collection of Barjeel Art Foundation, personal art collection of Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi.
Maraya Art Center, Sharjah, UAE.
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), Art Bank.

Awards:

2012. 1st Prize, Emirates fine arts society annual Exhibition, Sharjah Contemporary Art Museum, UAE
2013. Among the list of the 100 most powerful Arab women, http://www.arabianbusiness.com/100-most-powerful-arab-women-2013-491497…
2014. 2nd Prize, Emirates fine arts society annual Exhibition, Sharjah contemporary art Museum, UAE.