Search the ADAI marketplace by uploading an image and explore visually similar artworks.
Drag an image here
Exclusive access to galleries and artists across the region etc.
Art investment in the MENA region is evolving rapidly, blending cultural insight with strong market growth.
Would you like to:
ADAI works with artists across the Middle East and North Africa to ensure their work is seen, understood, and contextualized. Representation on ADAI means supporting artists through curated visibility, research, and digital presentation, connecting their work to audiences, exhibitions, and broader cultural conversations.
Artists featured on ADAI are not exclusively signed or commercially represented— instead, ADAI provides a platform to showcase your practice, highlight your perspective, and situate your work within the evolving landscape of MENA art.
By representing your work on ADAI, you gain access to:
Representation is about visibility, context, and community - helping your art reach the right audiences while respecting your autonomy as an artist."
Often referred to as the era of Al-Ruwad (The Pioneers), this period marks the birth of modern Arab art. Many of these artists were sent on government-sponsored scholarships to study in European capitals like Paris and Rome. Upon returning home, they blended Western academic techniques (such as Impressionism and Realism) with local subjects, landscapes, and the emerging concept of national identity.
This period was heavily defined by regional political turmoil, most notably the 1967 Six-Day War (the Naksa or 'setback'), the Palestinian exodus, and the Lebanese Civil War. Art became a crucial tool for resistance, political commentary, and documenting human suffering. Existential angst and national trauma led to an emotionally charged, often somber, figurative expressionism.
The Hurufiyya (Letterism) movement is arguably the most significant and cohesive modernist movement to emerge from the Arab world. Artists deconstructed Arabic calligraphy, liberating the letters from their linguistic and religious functions to use them as purely abstract, rhythmic, and visual elements. This allowed them to engage with global abstract expressionism while remaining deeply rooted in Islamic and Arab heritage.
Driven by globalization, the diaspora experience, and new technologies, Arab art in this era expanded well beyond traditional painting and sculpture. It became heavily characterized by video, photography, installation, and performance art. Operating on a global stage, these artists tackle complex themes of post-colonialism, migration, memory, borders, and gender identity.
This helps us curate better recommendations for your taste
Drag & Drop your image here
or
This helps us curate better recommendations for your taste
An exploration of the body as a space of liberation, contemplation, and resistance amid war and uncertainty. Through feminine presences, the work questions authority, healing, and our search for balance, suggesting that the restoration of the body may also be a path toward collective rebirth.
Rawad Ghattas is a Lebanese visual artist who holds a BA in Fine Arts from the Lebanese University of Fine Arts. His work represents a distinctive fusion of Abstract Expressionism and Modern Realism.
Born in 1984 in a rural community, Ghattas developed a deep connection with nature from an early age. His natural and social surroundings became his first muse and have remained among the most powerful sources of inspiration throughout his artistic journey.
Over the years, he has shaped his artistic vision by incorporating literature, philosophy, personal experiences, and reflections on the complexities of human existence. For Ghattas, art is more than a form of decoration or entertainment; it is a profound medium of expression and a powerful tool for communication, documentation, and the promotion of awareness, reflection, and change.
