Against a massive blank white wall images flicker in a darkened studio, taking up the entirety of one side of the room. First a photo of a beige canvas covered in abstract geometric shapes. Next a close-up of a deep brown sculpture covered in repeating angular three-dimensional indentations. Then a series of photos of whitewashed walls photographed against a bright blue sky, its decorative railings formed out of motifs that look both familiar and undefinable as they slop and undulate across the images. Before them stands Asma Belhamar, the artist who gave each piece life.
As she is photographed in front of her body of work for this cover shoot everyone on set quickly understands that this artist is in constant exploration. A woman that isn’t tethered to a single medium, or avenue of artistic expression. An Emirati who proudly wants to examine the visual codes of her country and how the cultural melting pot of the UAE has brought to life cities that are a melange of beautiful touchpoints that, when combined, have created a uniquely new architectural narrative for her nation.