Afra Al Dhaheri hides these amazing, lush curly locks. And hair transformations have become a ritual in her work. Just look at her pieces — long ropes hanging from the ceiling to the floor, or from a tree to the ground — ring any bells?
But Afra’s art isn’t just about ropes. She is always experimenting with different materials — glass, cement, wood, marble, you name it. During the pandemic, she even created her first marble piece — a massive sculpture that looks like a stack of pillows.
Also, she created a piece called "Collective Exhaustion," and when you see it, it feels like there is no better way to convey collective fatigue — looking at her work, you can physically feel the weight of exhaustion.
Afra Al Dhaheri is one of the artists participating in the third edition of Numoo, the artist development initiative by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), supported by the U.S. Mission to the UAE. And we decided to dive into her world — so, read this interview where you will discover the deeper meanings behind her works and the stories of their creation.