A particularly poignant mixed-media sculptural work portraying a dead man seemingly washed up on a beach after a pearl-diving escapade sits on the floor of the Kuwait City-based Bawa Gallery’s booth at the 16th edition of Abu Dhabi Art. Titled Bū-Daryā, after the Khaleeji myth of Baba Darya, who is said to haunt the waters of the Gulf, the work by Kuwaiti artist Jasem Alsanea draws parallels between the region’s historic pearl-diving industry and the impact of the last decade’s oil boom—the effects of which are still being experienced today.
Bawa, a first-time exhibitor, is one of 104 participating galleries, up from last year’s 92 galleries and 80 in 2022, marking Abu Dhabi Art’s largest and, arguably, most cosmopolitan edition ever. Two years ago, the fair halls and layout felt outdated and dealers were heard regularly complaining that there were not enough guests or collectors. This seems to have changed this year with new galleries, art professionals, and collectors eager to tap the growing art market potential of Abu Dhabi and the wider Gulf region.
