Juma Al Haj: The Return

A short run for this pop-up solo exhibition by the Emirati artist, noted for his calligraphy-like abstracted text in paintings and drawings. His abstract notations appear unconscious, though his process is in fact method-based, calculated and always originating from his personal journals; this exhibition chronicles self-reflections on existence, triggered by loss, and it signifies a clear development in his practice – his choice of sand as a medium, the transition from script to tally marks, the shift to geometric abstraction.

The exhibition is mounted for Alserkal Art Week by Iris Projects, formerly known as Iris Art Advisory. To 26 November.

Above: Juma Al Haj, Painting of Sad Letters (2023)