“A live emotional portrait performance in which artist Seba Razouk creates a face through pure colour impulses rather than traditional features. Each brushstroke translates an immediate emotional state, shifting from calm hues to intense, expressive tones. The portrait emerges gradually as layered gestures reveal the inner psychology of the subject. Viewers witness how colour, texture, and movement construct identity in real time, transforming raw emotion into a visual human presence. This performance highlights Razouk’s unique ability to merge fine-art technique with spontaneous emotional expression, offering an immersive and powerful artistic experience.”
Watch WAD exhibitors bring their art to life as they walk the main stage with their own creations.
This live performance explores the act of lifting one’s face and continuing forward.Rather than aiming for completion, the work focuses on movement, fluctuation, prayer, and the inner force that rises from within. Through the physical gesture of painting, layered colors, and the tension between music and silence, the artist reveals a moment of becoming. It invites each viewer to layer their own experiences onto the unfolding act of creation itself, receiving it as a personal and individual narrative.
A fast, high-energy live painting where a figure emerges in just minutes through bold,expressive strokes; inviting the audience to witness creation in its purest, most immediate form.
Alex and Luisa are a married duo who have painted together for over fifteen years — two creative forces sharing one canvas. Alex brings raw intuition, graphic pulse, and urban energy through color and handcrafted stencils. Luisa, classically trained, contributes balance, rhythm, and precise control of matter. Together, they defy categories; neither street art nor pop nor neo-expressionism. Their work is a visual declaration born from truth rather than schools. Curated by Mar Cuervo, this live painting experience reveals how two distinct creative processes can converge into one unified expression — a dialogue between individuality and shared vision.
Experience a dynamic oil painting demonstration, crafted entirely with palette knives. Watch bold textures and vibrant colors come together as a complete artwork unfolds before your eyes in just 30 minutes.
MENA Band – One of the UAE’s most acclaimed live acts, MENA Band delivers a powerful performance celebrating the rich heritage of Arabic music, reimagined with a modern twist. Their shows captivate audiences, taking them on an emotional journey filled with energy, nostalgia, and joy.
A live painting performance synchronized with a musical blend of Oriental and Classical sounds,featuring an artistic interpretation of the Great Sphinx or the historic Fatimid Cairo (Al-Hussein and Al-Azhar).
ARCHIE is a multidisciplinary artist and performer known for live painting synchronized with music, where rhythm becomes brushstroke and emotion becomes form. His work explores the fragmented human soul in the modern age, merging classical expression, abstraction, and sound into a single evolving moment on canvas.
A rich blend of storytelling, easy listening, and indie influences, the set delivers a thematic and atmospheric journey inspired by Dubai’s diverse cultural landscape.
Experience a live airbrush mural painting as the artist transforms a large canvas into a vibrant fusion of Emirati culture and global artistic influences. Through dynamic airbrush techniques and imaginative concepts, the mural comes to life in real time, offering audiences a captivating visual journey.
A unique performance that transforms space into living art. Using a custom brush that fuses baton twirling with painting, the artist dynamically completes the artwork in real time.
WAD Awards celebrates outstanding creativity and innovation, honoring exceptional artists and exhibitors who push the boundaries of art and design.
Amid a challenging 2024–2025 period for the global art market—marked by a 10–12% decline in overall value and a drop of more than 20% in public auction sales—the affordable art segment has emerged as a bright spot. Transaction volumes rose by 3%, while turnover among small and emerging dealers grew by an impressive 17%. This panel examines how affordable art fairs, such as World Art Dubai, are helping to attract new generations of collectors, empower emerging galleries, and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable art market.
This panel explores the evolving role of women in contemporary art, with a focus on artistic authorship, visibility, and cultural influence. Bringing together artists Sasha Suvorova, Asya Feoktistova, and Tanya Klassen, alongside art dealer Oksana Winterton, the discussion reflects on how women navigate personal expression, institutional frameworks, and the art market. The conversation situates female artistic practice within the broader debates shaping today’s global art discourse.sas
How Artists and Galleries Use Social Platforms to Build Audiences and Drive SalesExplore how artists and galleries can leverage social media to grow their reach and boost sales. Key topics include Instagram & TikTok trends, LinkedIn for art business, personal branding, algorithm insights, and essential tools like websites and press kits.
This eco-friendly pot painting and planting workshop invites participants to transform a terracotta pot using paints and brushes, followed by planting a live indoor sapling. The activity highlights sustainable art practices by combining hand-painted functional art with living plants. Designed for beginners and all age groups, the session promotes mindfulness, creativity, and a deeper connection with nature. Participants leave with a personalised, reusable planter—encouraging long-term care, sustainability, and conscious art-making.
A reflective art workshop focused on cultivating gratitude through simple line work and Zentangle-style embellishments. Participants create a meaningful artwork or bookmark that celebrates gratitude for both big and small moments.
Explore the timeless beauty of Islamic ornamentation and illumination in this immersive workshop. Participants learn geometric design, arabesque patterns, and traditional manuscript-inspired page layouts. Using gouache and fine detailing techniques, each attendee creates a personalized illuminated composition celebrating symmetry, balance, and spiritual reflection.
A fun and relaxing workshop where participants learn the fundamentals of fluid art while creating a seascape-inspired abstract painting. Watch colors flow, blend, and move organically as you express your creativity on canvas and take home a one-of-a-kind artwork.
Discover the beauty of Arabic calligraphy in this hands-on workshop where participants will create their own canvas artwork featuring a chosen Arabic word. Guided step by step, guests will explore the fundamentals of calligraphic form and composition while creating a meaningful, take-home piece that blends art, culture, and personal expression.
A reflective stippling workshop where participants create a symbolic self-portrait using dots and meaningful imagery. Instead of drawing faces, symbols and memories form a constellation-like composition. Learn stippling techniques while exploring personal identity through calm, mindful drawing.
Discover the art and science behind fine fragrance creation. This immersive workshop explores raw natural essences, modern aroma molecules, and scent composition, offering hands-on experience for perfume lovers and aspiring creators.
A fun, hands-on drawing workshop where participants design quirky and humorous characters. Learn basic illustration, expression, and storytelling techniques while letting your imagination run wild.
Learn how to paint expressive, realistic eyes step by step. This guided workshop covers color mixing, highlights, shading, and depth to bring emotion and life into your artwork. Perfect for beginners and art lovers alike.
This beginner-friendly workshop introduces participants to the art of Islamic geometric patterns using traditional methods and high school–level geometry. Participants will learn to construct a historical pattern, trace and transfer it onto watercolor paper, and bring it to life using colors of their choice. By the end of the session, attendees will gain a foundational understanding of Islamic patterns and watercolor techniques, and take home a beautifully finished artwort-perfect as a keepsake or gift.
Join artist Mozhgan Afrisham for an engaging hands-on workshop exploring textured art techniques on small canvases. Participants will learn how to build depth and expression using decorative textured paste materials under guided instruction. No prior art experience is required. Suitable for ages 7 and above, this relaxing and inspiring session invites everyone to enjoy the creative process and take home a unique textured artwork as a memorable keepsake.
A mindful embroidery workshop introducing the art of Tatreez and the rich history behind its traditional patterns. Participants will learn step by step embroidery techniques, symbolism, and cultural stories woven into each motif.
Inspired by nature’s quiet wisdom, this pottery workshop invites participants to shape vessels influenced by organic forms such as rocks, fungi, tree trunks, and natural fissures. Discover texture, form, and intuition through a hands-on clay experience.
An interactive sketching workshop focused on observing real-life people and objects. Inspired by everyday moments in Dubai, participants use markers and colored pencils to create expressive, playful sketches. Suitable for both kids and adults.
Design a mini shoreline artwork inspired by resin ocean art—without using chemicals. Using safe materials like texture paste, sand, shells, stones, and acrylic paints, participants create layered coastal compositions inspired by UAE shorelines. Suitable for adults.
Experience the beauty of Japanese characters using brush pens. This open try-out session lets you explore basic strokes and writing techniques in a fun, hands-on way.
Work with metal sheets to create textured, three-dimensional forms using embossing and beading techniques. Participants transform their designs into wearable jewelry such as earrings, pendants, or necklaces. No prior experience required.
Decorate elegant glass and metal lanterns using artificial flowers, beads, and decorative embellishments in this hands-on workshop by Zaish. With glue guns and creative freedom, participants craft radiant, candle-lit décor pieces to take home and treasure.
Create a miniature living landscape while exploring balance, color, texture, and composition. Each participant receives a complete terrarium kit with plants, soil, tools, and natural decorative elements, resulting in a ready-to-display micro ecosystem.
A heartwarming parent-and-child workshop where families create art together. This session encourages bonding, collaboration, and shared creativity as kids and parents work side by side to complete a beautiful joint masterpiece
Calling all little artists aged 4+! In this playful, hands-on workshop, children will create their own colorful masterpieces using vibrant plasticine, inspired by Henri Matisse’s bold shapes and joyful colors. A creative collaboration by @materandme.ru and @pickart.kids, designed to spark imagination and artistic confidence.
An introduction to blue-and-white porcelain painting inspired by iconic global ceramic traditions. Learn elegant cobalt brushwork techniques and create a refined decorative artwork.
A fast-paced, hands-on workshop where participants transform flat metal into raised, textured designs using simple embossing tools. Ideal for experimentation and creative expression.
A hands-on expressive mark-making workshop where participants create artwork inspired by memory, play, and imagination. A gentle, uplifting creative experience for all levels.
A live self-portrait performance asserting the woman artist as subject, author, and witness. The act of painting becomes a declaration of presence, agency, and visibility—reclaiming the gaze in a digital age.
A captivating live painting performance where an iconic Arabian door takes shape on canvas. As layers build in real time, the artwork reveals symbolism, craftsmanship, and architectural beauty.
An educational and visually striking performance demonstrating how illuminated resin artworks are constructed. Through pre-prepared panels, audiences explore texture, pigments, and layering before a UV/LED light reveal unveils hidden color shifts, depth, and transparency—showcasing the science and artistry behind resin art.
A live painting performance showcasing a unique technique of layered oil paint and intentional surface scratching. Hidden colors emerge to create depth and movement reminiscent of underwater and botanical worlds.
Art instructor and Director of Jafari Art Gallery, presenting a live oil painting demonstrating professional techniques in real time. In a 60-minute session, a realistic floral painting will be created using oil paints throughout. The session offers audiences the opportunity to observe the full creative process.
A gentle mindfulness grounding and sound healing session using Tibetan singing bowls flows into a live Ebru (traditional marbling) demonstration. Sound vibrations influence water, color, and movement, inspired by Rumi’s philosophy.
A live calligraphy performance where audiences witness the creation of expressive, large-scale calligraphic compositions in real time. As words take form on canvas, the performance offers an intimate look into the rhythm, movement, and emotion of calligraphy—creating a memorable and engaging visual experience.
With headphones on, the artist enters an internal dialogue translated onto canvas through spray paint, acrylic, and raw gestural marks—revealing an intimate inner world made visible.
Paper is folded into origami forms, spray-painted with acrylics, then unfolded and ironed flat to reveal unexpected compositions—transforming structure, chance, and repetition into a finished artwork.
Join Jen Stelco as she creates vibrant abstract floral paintings using real flowers and unexpected materials. Guests can also participate, receiving tips and guidance from Jen to explore their own creative expression.
A dynamic live painting performance where the artist transforms a wall using bold acrylic strokes, creating art in real time before the audience.
A dynamic live painting performance blending Arabic and Middle Eastern calligraphy with the bold energy of street art and graffiti. Using brushes and spray paint, the artist transforms cultural and historical identity into vibrant, urban-inspired compositions created in real time.
A powerful fusion of movement, color, and emotion described by audiences as “a force of energy.” Rooted in Japanese aesthetics, this performance expresses vitality, presence, and the courage to live fully in the moment—inviting viewers to feel the pulse of life as it unfolds.
Inspired by the miniature world of insects, this live artistic exploration translates the delicate forms and movements of tiny creatures into expressive painted replicas. Observed in nature and recreated on canvas, the performance celebrates unseen beauty while leaving the natural world untouched.
A live calligraphy performance celebrating the harmony between Arabic and Persian scripts. Drawing from classical traditions and contemporary expression, the artist brings timeless letterforms to life through fluid, expressive movement.
Filete Porteño—Argentina’s vibrant decorative art form—reimagined as a live performance, celebrating cultural heritage through bold lines, color, and storytelling.
A high-energy live painting performance blending Arabic and Middle Eastern calligraphy with street art and graffiti. Brushes and spray paint merge cultural identity with urban expression in bold, contemporary form.
Witness the creation of large-scale airbrushed murals that merge contemporary techniques with cultural influences and Emirati heritage. The performance unfolds as a vibrant visual story rich in depth, detail, and modern expression.
Multidisciplinary artist ARCHIE paints live in synchronization with music, where rhythm becomes brushstroke and emotion becomes form—exploring the fragmented modern soul through sound and movement.
A multidisciplinary dialogue between performance, visual art, and music. Color and sound evolve into movement, weaving past, present, and future into a poetic exploration of identity across borders and time.
This live performance transforms words and poetry into large-scale contemporary calligraphic artworks. The process unfolds publicly, inviting viewers into the creative journey and, at moments, encouraging collective participation to form a shared conceptual symbol such as peace or unity.
A live art performance capturing the spirit of tomorrow through expressive strokes, textures, and contemporary storytelling—created in real time as a signature World Art Dubai moment.
Following sound healing, a live fluid painting translates sound frequencies into color and motion. The performance explores the relationship between tonal ranges and visual expression in a contemporary sensory experience.
A durational live performance merging large-scale drawing and sound. As crowds, figures, and mythic forms emerge intuitively on a vast white surface, music, breath, rhythm, and silence shape a shared moment where the everyday transforms into the mythical.
A meditative live painting performance inspired by traditional blue-and-white porcelain. Using only cobalt-blue tones, the artist blends Emirati cultural elements with classic porcelain motifs, revealing each layer and brushstroke as the artwork slowly comes to life.
A layered live painting performance where expressive brushstrokes build intensity and emotion, culminating in a video-mapping sequence that transforms the artwork into a living, moving image.
Created live during the fair, this painting evolves through audience participation. Visitors complete the sentence “The world is full of…” with one word, shaping the artwork’s concept in real time.
Artist Seba Razouk creates a portrait driven by pure color impulses rather than traditional features. Layered brushstrokes translate shifting emotional states into texture, movement, and presence, revealing identity through color and energy.
A live painting performance guided entirely by intuition and atmosphere. Responding to air, wind, light, and breath, the artist creates without sketches, revealing harmony between nature, humanity, and the present moment.
A live painting performance weaving Indian and Emirati heritage into a shared visual narrative. Cultural motifs are painted onto silk sarees and headscarves, creating a poetic dialogue between traditions, identity, and belonging.
Watch the artist bring an eagle to life using tubes of fluorescent paint, transforming bold colors into a striking, dynamic artwork.
An abstract performance exploring direction, impulse, and motion. Through an evolving choreography of movement and color, the artwork gradually emerges—transforming the idea of flight into a visual composition.
Experience a powerful fusion of passion, spirit, and art — a visual burst of life. Described by audiences as “a force of energy,” this performance transforms emotion into vivid color, movement, and rhythm. Rooted in Japanese aesthetics, the work expresses the strength and vitality of living fully in the present moment. Feel the pulse, the passion, and the courage to live boldly — right now.
A large-scale live portrait of an Arab woman, blending traditional symbols like the falcon, desert rose, and dallah with Arabic calligraphy and poetry by female Arab poets. Visitors are invited to add saffron, henna red, and turquoise dots and write the names of inspiring women, celebrating the strength of Arab women while connecting heritage with future dreams.
A captivating performance exploring the hidden balance between chaos and order, culminating in a powerful symbol of hope and perseverance.
The artist creates a heart balloon, reminiscent of Banksy, writing phrases about love. Guests are invited to leave their own messages, becoming part of the evolving artwork..
Jen Stelco demonstrates how to transform and cover a wall space with a custom hand-painted design; faster than you might imagine.
A thought-provoking performance delving into the hidden layers of identity, shaped by memory, struggle, and quiet strength.
A meditative sculptural performance where a crescent-shaped form is built in real time using recycled plastic, palm leaves, and natural rope. Rooted in Arab symbolism, the work reflects renewal, sustainability, and the rhythm of making.
A soulful live performance featuring traditional Ukrainian bandura harp and vocals, blending heritage melodies with emotive storytelling.