Abdul Qader Al Rais (b.1951, United Arab Emirates) received a Bachelor of Sharia Law from the United Arab Emirates University in 1982 and is a self-taught artist. He was born twenty years before Dubai (and the United Arab Emirates) was formed and is considered one of the most iconic painters of the country.

A founding member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, Al Rais’ practice was truly self-driven and resourced. He began painting in 1964, at a time of limited cultural infrastructure, where sourcing paint posed difficulties. Being cut off from traditional international art markets and western artistic dialogues, his practice was deeply informed by Gulf traditions; of representations of the divine, culture and community – all grounde...