Sculpture, Form & Memory: Emirati gallerist brings Arab Modernism to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Maha Al Mansoori was a collector before she was a gallerist. At some point, collecting was no longer enough.

“I want to contribute to the wider conversation around recognition of artists and bring renewed attention to important artistic legacies from across the Middle East and beyond,” she said to Gulf News.

This week, in Abu Dhabi, that conviction has a name: Mahmoud Moussa.

The Emirati collector and founder of Maha Al Mansoori Art Gallery opened Sculpture, Form & Memory on 11 November at Region Concept Space in MiZa, Zayed Port.

It is the first solo exhibition in the UAE dedicated to the Egyptian modernist, and it brings together more than ten of his major works. It runs until 15 November.

Giving a legacy its due

Maha Al Mansoori is an Emirati cultural entrepreneur, art collector, gallerist and fine jewellery designer. Her work sits at the intersection of art, culture, design and entrepreneurship, informed by an academic background that includes an MBA from London Business School and postgraduate studies in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London.

Al Mansoori curated the exhibition herself, in collaboration with Motion Gallery in Cairo, to support the preservation of the artist’s legacy. Asked why she chose Moussa, she does not hesitate.

“I wanted to introduce Mahmoud Moussa’s work to a wider audience in the UAE and give his legacy the recognition it deserves. Presenting his first dedicated solo exhibition in Abu Dhabi reflects my gallery’s commitment to preserving and championing important voices in Arab modern art.” she said.

Her description of the artist shows what drew her to him.

"The exhibition brings together the work of Mahmoud Moussa, a pioneering Egyptian sculptor whose artistic language draws deeply from Egypt’s ancient heritage while embracing modern expression," she said,

“Sculpture, Form & Memory offers an opportunity to rediscover his remarkable contribution to Arab modernism.”

The artist she chose

Moussa was born in Alexandria and belonged to the second generation of pioneers of modern Egyptian art. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who studied abroad, he developed his training independently. In 1957 he joined the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria, where he taught in the Department of Sculpture and influenced generations of artists through both his work and his teaching.

Al Mansoori’s exhibition considers how material can hold memory, how reduction can intensify expression, and how subjects drawn from lived experience can achieve a presence that exceeds their immediate reference. It does not impose a single interpretation. It asks visitors to give each work sustained attention.

The show’s proposition is that sculpture need not depend on scale or spectacle. Its significance may lie in the precision of a contour, the balance of a volume, or the quiet transformation of stone into a form that is at once familiar and enigmatic.

Why now

For Al Mansoori, the timing matters. “At a time when cultural identity and heritage are increasingly important, this exhibition reminds us of the value of our artistic history,” she said.

She also sees it as a bridge between people. “It creates a connection between generations, encourages appreciation of Arab modernism, and reminds us that understanding our past is essential to shaping our cultural future.”

Building a gallery

The exhibition is the latest step in a gallery that is still taking shape. Al Mansoori launched it earlier this year with Held/Unheld, a virtual group exhibition that brought together four women artists from the UAE, Bahrain, Paraguay and the Philippines. Since then, she has presented work in different formats and venues, and the gallery will open its permanent home in Abu Dhabi in early 2027.

What she hopes visitors take from Moussa’s work is a conversation. “By presenting Mahmoud Moussa’s sculptures, I hope to encourage cross-cultural dialogue and better understanding of our heritage through the artworks and the stories behind each of them,” she said.