In Arabic, the work that gives its name to the title of Afra Al Dhaheri’s first institutional show—Restless Circle, open until December 14 at Sharjah Art Foundation—is a poetic concept. Dā’ira hā’ira is a rhyming expression: “dā’ira” means circle, while “hā’ira” suggests uncertainty or, metaphorically, spinning in circles.

Dubai’s Efie Gallery, which since its launch in 2021 has established itself as a vital platform for artists of African origin, will inaugurate its new space this April with a monumental solo exhibition by the internationally celebrated Cuban artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons. Running from April 11 to May 21, the exhibition not only presents Campos-Pons’ work to the region in a dedicated solo show but also underscores Efie’s commitment to expanding the reach of artists from Africa and its diaspora.

Rooted in personal history and collective memory, Hazem Harb’s practice explores how exile leaves its mark on architectural form and cultural identity. Born in Gaza and based in Dubai, Harb’s visual language frequently references architectural ruins and archival imagery that evoke the fragility of built environments and the precariousness of home. At once intimate and expansive, his collages, sculptures, and installations explore the physical and symbolic structures shaped by war and exile presenting them not merely as remnants of destruction, but as foundations for belonging and reconstruction.

Memory, often shaped by nostalgia, trauma, and loss, can distort or idealize the past, while truth, bound by its quest for factuality, may resist the emotional weight of recollection. In the liminal space where personal narratives and collective histories converge and diverge, artists often explore the blurred lines between truth and memory. This piece explores how four artists from the Dubai Collection portray human existence through the lens of social norms, intangible experiences and history within the context of individual and collective memories.

Adrian Pepe prompts reflections on our shared materiality and mortality with his exhibition A Shroud is a Cloth at NIKA Project Space, Dubai.

Jake Andrew’s work is a fusion of digital, physical and audio which he describes as a contemporary view of abstraction and a presentation of what painting can be in the future.

Vietnamese artist Trần Lương’s survey exhibition Tầm Tã—Soaked in the Long Rain at Dubai’s Jameel Arts Centre delves into personal and political histories.

Despite disparate geographical, historical, and cultural backgrounds, a common thread is found in our relation to the earth. It is this concept that Shamma Al Mheiri explored for her curation of Solace in Soil, a duo exhibition running at Efie Gallery in Dubai until October 6. Al Mheiri, an Emirati curator and art historian, brought together the sculptural works of Kenyan Maggie Otieno and Sharjah’s Dr. Mohamed Yousif.