“How to become a collector?” — this is the most frequent question on events like Dubai Design District or lunches at Sotheby’s. And my favourite answer was given to me by Pablo Del Val, Art Director at Art Dubai — “Just start collecting”. Indeed, you can start small, it might not even be smart, but if you like it — go for it. 

Now, Christmas and New Year's Eve are approaching, it is time for presents, so it seems like a perfect time to tip on that collecting route, justifying the art purchases with a legitimised winter-gifting culture. 

Even if it won’t be for you and you would want to impress your art-loving friends — here is our wishlist as if we were Peggy Gougenheim casually buying whatever we like.

Acrylic on canvas

70 x 60 cm

Buy at Khawla Art Gallery’s Online Shop

Sahar often uses this lovely kid in her works. I just honestly adore this girl and it feels like we all need that grumpy kid around? Just for fun, you know. 

Tarps and sewing threads

150 x 257 cm

Enquire at Gallery Isabelle 

A pop of colour that would look perfect in any apartment or house. Probably a house is better though. 

To give you some context — marina is a metaphorical tide, showcasing works that reflect the physical and emotional layers of our world. “Voo” is a lovely sunburnt umbrella turned into art that highlights material resilience and the beauty in traces of human life.

Acrylic on paper

41.5 x 29 cm

Buy at Lawrie Shabibi's Online Shop

This is what I call a “mass piece” in the best meaning of this word, it is because I believe something abstract and pretty can speak to everybody. This can be a great gift for anyone, who wants to start being artsy. 

Acrylic on canvas

170 x 350 cm

Buy at Khawla Art Gallery’s Online Shop

The greater meaning here would be the reminder that throughout history, people from diverse backgrounds have been advancing social changes and advocating for their rights. Human efforts have profoundly influenced the trajectory of history, enriching our lives with purpose and depth. The true essence of humanity lies in its compassion, resilience, and determination to create a fairer, more equitable world.

Get this to someone as a reminder of their own strength. 

100 cm (diameter)

Acrylic paint on canvas

Enquire at tamarakhodr.com 

If you’re looking for one of a kind centrepiece — this is the crownjewel. The painting captures Tamara’s cherished memories of her hometown, Baakline in Mount Lebanon. A unique place. It depicts her connection with a peach tree she planted, a traditional water jug from her grandparents’ home, and a chicken from their coop. Together, these elements celebrate the simplicity and beauty of life in the village.

This is a soft kiss on a forehead, reminding one about their childhood — sweet in everything from the title to the palette. 

Bitumen on card, steel, and paint

48 x 23.5 x 2.5 cm

Buy at Lawrie Shabibi's Online Shop

These two are definitely another example of “mass pieces”. Great compliment to any space, finding beautiful geometry in our everyday Dubai scenes. 

Nathaniel Rackowe’s artworks reflect urban life through light and shadow. Using industrial materials like bitumen on a honeycomb card, he creates textured works with glowing edges, framed in welded steel. Their 2:1 aspect ratio evokes cinema screens or car windows. Inspired by a 2014 drive through Dubai’s diverse districts, the series captures the city’s evolution since his first visit in 1999.

Mixed media on canvas

180 x 150 cm

Buy at Khawla Art Gallery’s Online Shop

This one makes my mind stand still. As if someone captured the wind or the fog from a campfire.

This would be a great gesture for someone needing peace and calmness. I feel like this piece could easily be “your secret”. I would place it somewhere in the smaller room to simply contemplate the silence in it. 

Screenprint on tissue paper mounted on wood panel

17.78 x 12.27 x 1.9 cm

Enquire at Gallery Isabelle 

Is this duo amazing? Definitely yes. A pop of colour any room needs. I think it would look absolutely stunning on a contrasting gray or blue wall. 

Why floor plans though? In December 2017, Divecha discovered a projectionist’s block calendar diary amid the debris of Abu Dhabi’s decommissioned El Dorado Cinema, a landmark on Electra Street since the 1990s, later serving South Asian audiences. From its mundane entries, he crafted a poignant narrative of alienation, exclusion, and memory, imagining an unseen projectionist, “K.”

Acrylic on Paper

35 x 50 cm

Enquire at Ayyam Gallery 

I feel like this would be a good one for someone closer to their 40s for some reason. This deep blend of colours and meaning requires wisdom, I feel. Somehow this painting is both so calm, like a blue cloudless sky, and so brutal, with its blood-like drips of red paint. 

Drawing on themes from Albert Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus, the exhibition explores the search for meaning in an irrational world, reflecting absurdism’s influence on contemporary art. Helal’s journey marks a shift from rigid, grid-like structures to fluid, expressive techniques. His use of dynamic brushstrokes echoes abstract expressionists like Joan Mitchell, emphasising emotional storytelling and the immediacy of creation.

100 cm (diameter)

Acrylic paint on canvas

Enquire at tamarakhodr.com 

If you’re looking for one of a kind centrepiece — this is the crownjewel. The painting captures Tamara’s cherished memories of her hometown, Baakline in Mount Lebanon. A unique place. It depicts her connection with a peach tree she planted, a traditional water jug from her grandparents’ home, and a chicken from their coop. Together, these elements celebrate the simplicity and beauty of life in the village.

This is a soft kiss on a forehead, reminding one about their childhood — sweet in everything from the title to the palette.