Biography
Born in 1955, Abdulrahim Salim is a pioneering Emirati artist who helped to shape the arts scene in the United Arab Emirates. Salim was a founding member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah, of which he also served as chairman. Salim graduated from the College of Fine Arts, Cairo, in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sculpture. He has taken part in regional solo exhibitions and international biennials, including: the 56th Venice Bienniale, UAE Pavilion (2015); the Asian Art Biennial (Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1995); and two editions of the Cairo Bienniale (Egypt, 1988, 1992). Salim has received many awards, including first prize at the Sharjah Biennial (1993); the Jury Prize of the Cairo Bienniale (1993); the Bangladesh Silver Award (1994); the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award (1995); and the Palme d’Or award for GCC artists in 1996. His work is represented in the collections of the Sharjah Art Museum, ADMAF (Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation), ADNOC in Abu Dhabi and at the Jordan National Museum. In 2018, the artist participated in Artists and the Cultural Foundation: The Early Years, Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation.
