"Linear Trace" by Yasmine Al Awa features a minimalistic composition with warm earthy tones set against a linen background, highlighting intricate wooden furniture and geometric patterns. The painting juxtaposes traditional Syrian craftsmanship with modernist architectural elements, reflecting themes of memory and cultural continuity. Al Awa employs a delicate balance of realism and abstraction, showcasing her adeptness in blending historical aesthetics with contemporary design. This work is a poignant exploration of identity, rooted in the artist's Syrian heritage, offering insights into displacement and belonging within the context of a modern, fast-paced environment. ...
Yasmine Al Awa is an emerging Syrian artist whose work navigates themes of memory, identity, and cultural inheritance. Raised in the UAE, Al Awa’s practice reflects a duality between her deep connection to her Syrian roots and her exposure to the modernism of a rapidly advancing city. Her work speaks to the fragility of memory and identity, exploring how fleeting moments can become powerful anchors within one’s sense of self. Through this series, Al Awa offers a contemporary perspective on the traditions and aesthetics of Syria, imbuing her work with both personal nostalgia and universal themes of displacement and belonging. ...
Veronika Berezina founded NIKA Project Space in the UAE in 2023, a gallery that fosters the artistic inquiry of emerging and established artists and curators internationally, with a focus on practitioners from the Global South.
NIKA Project Space serves as a platform for artistic discourse and experimentation and champions the work of female artists and curators. In addition to exhibitions which focus on conceptualization, abstraction, and philosophical inquiry, NIKA Project Space offers a critically engaged programme that emphasizes contemporaneity and dialogue through talks, performances, and educational initiatives. The gallery also hosts a research programme, inviting artists to create impactful new works that implement research-based and experimental creative processes, ultimately facilitating the exploration and portrayal of nuanced societal experiences and historical narratives.
In 2024, NIKA Project Space inaugurated a European location in the Komunuma art district in Romainville,on the outskirts of Paris. In Dubai, the gallery is located in Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz. ...
