Abu Dhabi Art: Joana Choumali

For its debut in Abu Dhabi Art, GALERIE FARAH FAKHRI is delighted to showcase works from the ‘Alba’hian’ series by Joana Choumali.

Works from this series were presented at the Zeitz Mocaa Museum in Cape Town, South Africa; at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, UK; in the Dakar Biennale’s official exhibition curated by Salimata Diop and during Paris Photo. Joana Choumali’s work was exhibited at the Harvard Art Museums in May 2025.

Observing life and the city progressively awakening as the sun rises in the sky - bathed in light and surrounded by clouds - feeds Choumali’s sensitivity and artistic practice. The see- through fabrics she superimposes onto the photograph materialise ‘the dampness, humidity and softness of the atmosphere at dawn.’ Choumali calls the sunrise a daily birth, a rebirth. Thus, Alba’hian, which means ‘the first light of the day’ in the Agni language, follows her quest for peace and harmony, which she pursues when she watches the sun rising. This quest she began with the series became a daily ritual, wherever she is in the world. Ultimately, through her photographs, Joana Choumali invites the public to take their time to contemplate the world around them.

As the sky and the texture are very important in Choumali’s mixed-media works, close-up details of the backgrounds unfold on the walls  – creating an immersive display, shedding light on the dreamlike side of Choumali’s practice.