Ziad El Kasemy

Sharjah, UAE
Contemporary Abstract Hurufiyya, Expressionist Letterism.

Awards & Honors

Selected Awards & Institutional Honors

  • 2025: The Al Burda International Award for Contemporary Calligraphy (Ministry of Culture, UAE).
  • 2023: Emerging Middle Eastern Artist of the Year (Emaar Art Foundation).
  • 2021: First Prize Laureate, The Sharjah Biennial for Contemporary Islamic Art.
  • 2019: The Dubai Honorary Prize for Innovative Fine Arts.

Artist Biography

Contemporary Abstract Hurufiyya, Expressionist Letterism.
Sharjah, UAE

Raised amidst the rich cultural and architectural topography of the United Arab Emirates, Ziad El Kasemy developed an early fascination with the sacred geometry of Islamic ornamentation and the rigorous disciplines of classical Arabic calligraphy. Observing the historical manuscripts and the timeless shadows thrown by traditional wind-towers (Barajeel) in Sharjah, he sought to decode the structural rhythm of heritage. His subsequent formal training in Fine Arts and Visual Design allowed him to bridge the gap between rigorous traditional craftsmanship and modern architectural minimalism. Today, El Kasemy is recognized as a pioneering vanguard of contemporary Middle Eastern abstraction, synthesizing historic legacies with global spatial contexts.

Artistic Vision & Philosophy

“The Arabic grapheme is not a mere vehicle for linguistic translation or literal communication; it is an autonomous living visual entity possessing innate spiritual, mathematical, and kinetic energy. My philosophy centers on the ’emancipation of the script’—liberating the letterform from textuality and functional readability so it may exist as pure visual rhythm. My canvases are programmatic fields where precious raw mediums, such as 24K gold leaf and oxidized silver, interact with visceral, stormy expressionist strokes. Each piece forms a meditative, silent bridge between sacred heritage and modern architectural space.”

Signature Style

El Kasemy’s oeuvre possesses a distinct visual signature celebrated within the international art market, defined by:

  • The Multi-Layered Impasto Technique: The structural topography of the canvas is built using thick, heavy layers of textured acrylic paste mixed with raw linen fibers. This creates physical, tangible reliefs on the surface that trap and cast actual shadows depending on the room’s ambient light.
  • Arabesque Fusion Architecture: A meticulous, fluid convergence of abstract calligraphic arcs and complex geometric tessellations, transforming the flat canvas into a dynamic, endless spatial pattern.
  • Precious Metallurgical Alchemy: The calculated application of 24-Karat genuine gold leaf, oxidized silver sheets, and platinum foils as foundational structural components. The artist engineered these metals to react shiftingly to both daylight and targeted gallery lighting.

Artistic Maturity

The portfolio of El Kasemy charts a mathematically strict trajectory of growth, which serves as the bedrock of his investment-grade market valuation:

  1. The Sovereign Opulence Phase (Classical Foundation): Focuses on absolute geometric symmetry within grand gilded mandalas. These massive works are designed specifically to command the vast architectural scales of palace foyers and main residential entryways.
  2. The Transitional Continuum Phase (Emancipation of Grapheme): A shift toward luxury minimalism and sequential canvases (Triptychs). The calligraphic elements are rendered in matte charcoal hues, breaking through physical frames to flow continuously across multiple panels.
  3. The Expressionist Zenith Phase (Nocturnal Silence): A total, masterful rebellion against readable forms. The script dissolves completely into dense, sweeping, moody monochromatic compositions accented by oxidized silver and platinum, tailored specifically for high-end home cinemas, private lounges, and royal master suites.

Exhibitions & Art Residencie

  • Solo Exhibitions:
    • The Pulse of Black Gold, Dubai Opera Exhibition Hall (2025).
    • Beyond the Readable Grapheme, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai (2023).
  • Selected Group Exhibitions & Biennials:
    • The 60th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia, National Pavilion of the UAE (2024).
    • Contemporary Arab Abstraction, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (2022).
    • The Sharjah International Art Biennial (2021).
  • Art Residencies:
    • Selected Resident Artist (6-Month Tenure), Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France (2022).

Exclusive Previews

Commissioned Projects

  • 2025: Monumental Calligraphic Wall Sculptures for the Royal VVIP Terminal, Al Maktoum International Airport.
  • 2024: Private Gilded Triptych Commissions for Royal Residential Palaces in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
  • 2023: Deep-Relief Sculpted Marble Installation, Main Atrium, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Press, Interviews and Art Criticism

  • Critical Review: “Ziad El Kasemy fundamentally recalibrates the visual philosophy of Arabic calligraphy, elevating the letterform from a linguistic signifier into an architectural organism suited for the stark lines of global modernism.” — Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Art & Architecture, 2024.
  • Media Features: Documented extensively in Architectural Digest Middle East, Canvas Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar Art.

Public & Corporate Collections

The artist’s works are permanently acquired by major sovereign collections and public museums, including:

  • The Etihad Museum, Dubai.
  • The Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah.
  • The Sovereign Royal Collection, Abu Dhabi.
  • The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MACAM), Beirut.

Facets of the Artist's Life

“Beyond the serene sanctuary of his atelier and the meticulous world of ink and calligraphy, Ziad Al Qasimi’s life unfolds in a masterfully balanced rhythm, seamlessly blending a passion for dynamic adventure with a profound reverence for his Emirati heritage in Sharjah. Driven by a quest for mental clarity to fuel his artistic vision, he begins his mornings embracing the vitality of outdoor fitness and the tranquility of nature. Yet, this reflective calm effortlessly gives way to a vibrant, spirited persona—whether he is navigating the majestic golden dunes of the desert or enjoying spontaneous coastal drives with close friends. Remaining deeply anchored in his cultural roots, Ziad embodies traditional nobility astride an Arabian steed at dawn, or walks as a discerning cultural figure through heritage souks and intellectual forums. Ultimately, his lifestyle stands as a testament that true artistry is never detached from daily existence; rather, it is continuously enriched by its raw humanity and profound depth.”

Philosophy of Artworks at M ART GALLERY

Techniques & Mediums

Every artifact curated under Ziad El Kasemy’s name on M ART GALLERY is a certified, singular masterwork executed to rigorous archival specifications. The mediums utilized comprise lightfast, non-fading mineral oil pigments, warp-resistant Belgian linen, and chemically sealed metals designed to resist coastal humidity, salinity, and oxidation for multiple generations.

Featured Collections (Platform Classification)

Curated Investment Collections

The gallery offers global investors three distinct tiers corresponding to the artist’s developmental phases:

  1. The Sovereign Opulence Collection: Large-scale monolithic statements (170×170 cm) fusing gold leaf symmetry for high-ceiling entrance halls.
  2. The Contemporary Continuum Collection: Multi-panel minimalist triptychs featuring organic plaster textures designed for grand corridors and modern beachside villas.
  3. The Nocturnal Silence Collection: Moody, highly tactile silver and platinum expressionist works calibrated for custom home theaters and private executive salons.

Some of the artist creations

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Mart Studio
Mart Gallery

Cosmic Orbit

In the heart of visual stillness, “Cosmic Orbit” emerges as a transformative pictorial gateway, echoing the celestial choreography of the universe and the continuous flux of human existence through the sublime lens of contemporary Arabic Hurufiyya. Within this singular opus, the Arabic script liberates itself from literal semantics, transmuting into an ethereal, dynamic current that revolves around a mesmerizing focal core. This nucleus is meticulously gilded with pristine 24-karat gold leaf, designed to capture and refract ambient light like a radiant star piercing a cosmic abyss.

The background is sculpted with a profound, structural Italian stucco, seamlessly oscillating between charcoal graphite and imperial indigo, punctuated by deliberate antiqued fissures and weathered textures that evoke the timeless majesty of forgotten ancient ramparts. This is a monumental statement piece, orchestrated to resonate with discerning connoisseurs and infuse contemporary architectural spaces with an aura of historic grandeur and dramatic opulence.

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Mart Studio
Mart Gallery

Timeless Inscriptions

As if an ancestral codex unearthed from the sacred ruins of a majestic civilization, “Timeless Inscriptions” commands the space with its breathtaking panoramic expanse and a structural surface steeped in historical narrative. The artwork is anchored by a complex, mathematically calculated geometric grid where contemporary Arabic Hurufiyya scripts intersect, weaving an immersive visual tapestry that reverberates with profound cultural depth.

The color palette is meticulously drawn from the primal richness of heritage earth pigments—a striking matrimony between warm terracotta crimson, raw golden ochre, and deep veils of matte charcoal distressing. The structural marble stucco and architectural plaster yield the illusion of natural erosion wrought by the passage of centuries, whilst fragmented veins of genuine gold and antiqued bronze leaf break through the ancient dust like shards of celestial light. This is a monumental statement piece designed to project an aura of historic prestige and weathered opulence within sophisticated architectural spaces that demand ancestral gravity woven with haute-modernity.

 

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Woven into art; threads capturing warmth and spatial depth.
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Dimensions Beyond the Wall, Curation that transforms empty boundaries into institutional statements.
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Woven into art; threads capturing warmth and spatial depth.
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Earth elevated by intense fire; timeless objects reflecting tectonic
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