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.
