"The global art world today is dominated by the art produced with the ideas originating in the West, and I don't think it would be any different in Abu Dhabi. The aim of my work in Abu Dhabi is to depart from this dominant trend and present what is 'Islamic' but also modernist. It is not a kind of mixture which is common in the Arab/Muslim world, but is an original modernist work which enunciates and celebrates the spirit of Islam. The audience of my work in Abu Dhabi should realize that there is no need for the Muslim artist to imitate or follow the West. There are enough ideas in the artistic traditions of Islam, which need not be imitated but can be reconstructed and renewed in the context of our modern world."

Rasheed Araeen ‘The Greatness of Allah’ (2021)
October 2021