They mirror the fusion and separation of cellular organisms, their patterned fabrics, paper, and plastic evoking an almost zoological vibrancy. CYCLE also reflects Al Banna’s interest in natural life cycles and his attempts to replicate these organic processes through some of the modern world’s most ubiquitous materials. Assembled across a period of X, these 30 works constitute a new chapter of experimentation for an artist who has constantly employed repetition, geometric abstraction, traditional design, and architectural motifs across over 20 years of artistic practice.

Khalid Al Banna (born 1975 in Sharjah), has been a mainstay of the contemporary local art scene since the early 90s. Across over two decades of prolific activity, The Emirati artist’s career has been defined by his use of collage and sculpture to explore subjects of both personal and national interest, a never-ending effort to document the UAE’s ever-changing material conditions. An Architectural Engineering graduate from UAE University, he would go on to utilize his formal education, coupled with a fervent exploration of diverse media and material, as an active member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society. Al Banna’s early black and white collage works, produced over a decade, would eventually give way to an abiding interest in vibrantly colored textile formations and the abstraction of traditional design materials and motifs in a practice that is deeply rooted in personal nostalgia and national belonging.

Al Banna has participated in several prominent exhibitions, including the Al Burda Endowment Exhibition (2019) at Manarat Al Sadiyat and Portrait of a Nation (2016) during the annual Abu Dhabi Festival. He has also taken part in group exhibitions in Berlin, Washington DC, France, and Austria. His works are held in the collections of the Sharjah Art Museum, Barjeel Art Foundation, and Abu Dhabi Music & Art Foundation (ADMAF), amongst many others.