Window

Born 1956, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Makki has worked in a range of media for the past three decades. The first Emirati woman to receive a government scholarship to study abroad, she traveled in 1977 to Cairo to attend the School of Fine Arts, where she received her BA and MA in relief sculpture and metalwork. She returned to the UAE and worked for the Ministry of Education as a teacher of art workshops before going back to Cairo, where she earned her PhD in visual arts in 2001. Influenced by notable Egyptian artists Mahmoud Mokhtar and Hamed Nada, Makki creates work that captures the landscapes and heritage of her home country. She has exhibited widely in the Gulf region, including at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi (2016) and the Sharjah Archaeology Museum (2003). She has also been the recipient of several honors, including the Artist’s Award of the Arab Woman Awards (2013); Emirates Appreciation Award in Science, Literature and Arts (2008); and Sharjah Biennial Award (1993). She is an active member of the Dubai Cultural Council, Emirates Fine Arts Society, and GCC Art Friends Group.

Dating from the 1980s, this work on paper titled Window showcases the artist’s exploration of abstraction. By blending acrylic with henna—a natural, earthy pigment—Makki creates an organic composition that emphasizes the tactile materiality of her mixed media.