Azza Al Qubaisi: Between Land and Sea

Azza Al Qubaisi (b. 1978) is an Emirati artist, designer, and entrepreneur, recognized as the UAE’s first jewelery designer. Her work spans jewelery and sculpture, combining materials from gold and silver to palm fronds and rubber tires, and is deeply inspired by Emirati heritage, the desert landscape, and traditional crafts.

Al Qubaisi’s practice reflects her commitment to sustainability, cultural preservation, and innovation, transforming simple, everyday materials into contemporary art. She holds a B.A. from London Guildhall University, a Diploma from Chelsea College of Arts, and an MA from HCT – CERT, Abu Dhabi. Her work is included in prominent collections such as Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, Etihad Airline, Sharjah Islamic Art Festival, and Tashkeel Dubai.

Since its establishment four decades ago, Leila Heller has gained worldwide recognition as a pioneer in promoting creative dialogue and exchange between Western artists and Middle Eastern, Central and Southeast Asian artists. In 2010, Leila Heller moved from the Upper East Side to its flagship space, Leila Heller Gallery, in Chelsea where it has garnered a reputation for identifying and cultivating the careers of artists leaving a lasting impact on contemporary art and culture.

In March of 2019, Leila Heller made her return to the Upper East Side after eight years. The New York space has since brought its focus back to the secondary market, and has hosted events such as Double Vision, curated by Jane Holzer and featuring works by Andy Warhol, Richard Prince, Jeff Koons, and Keith Haring, amongst others.

In 2015, Leila Heller opened the Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai, its first international location in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue. At 16,500 square feet and 32-foot ceilings, it is a state-of-the-art gallery that features three exhibition spaces, making it the largest gallery in the Middle East. Showcasing leading regional and international artists, many of whom will be presenting their work in the Middle East for the first time, the gallery is dedicated to supporting the evolving practice of established artists. The gallery has strong innovative curatorial and educational programs with an emphasis on promoting a dialogue between Western and Middle Eastern artists.

In addition to presenting a dynamic exhibition schedule, Leila Heller Gallery actively organizes shows with world-renowned curators, hosts educational panels and film screenings, and produces catalogues and books with scholarly essays. Each year the gallery participates in major international art fairs and stages off-site projects as a platform for exploring new conversations within a wider context of galleries, artists and institutions. Gallery artists have consistently participated in international museum exhibitions and biennials, and are included in leading institutional collections worldwide.