Muna BALFAQEEH .
Muna BALFAQEEH .
THE JOURNEY
Muna's path began in workshops across the region, where she worked through abstract drawing, mixed media, Arabic calligraphy, photography and silkscreen printing. Each medium taught her something new and made her want to go further. She soon saw that her work needed a clearer identity, and that led her to study for a Master of Fine Arts at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, with the aim of building a more cohesive body of work. Today, that work is rooted in the heritage of the UAE.
The Emirati Art & Heritage Collection brings together traditional and contemporary works that honor the culture and history of the UAE. It runs from detailed paintings of daily life to handcrafted woodwork and heritage-inspired pieces, and each one carries something of the spirit, memory and craftsmanship of the Emirates. Emirati women, the sea and the traditions that shaped everyday life are all kept alive here, as UAE heritage art made to live with.
Artist Statement
I belong to a generation that has lived through a defining transition: the years before and after the discovery of oil in the UAE. As an Emirati artist, I explore the meeting point of tradition and modernity, where generations pull in different directions and the roles of men and women are shifting. Through figurative realism, I create UAE heritage art that preserves the customs, labor and craftsmanship at the core of our history, set beside contemporary elements that reflect how fluid change can be.
My work centers on the untold stories of artisans, weavers and tradespeople, whose hands carry the weight of history. They embody resilience, skill and dedication, and my paintings give them the visibility they often lack in the art world.
I paint in oil on canvas, often in a monochromatic palette, placing figures in greyscale or muted tones against rich gold or textured modern backdrops. Each work begins with research: I photograph, interview and observe my subjects in their own spaces, so that every painting stays faithful to them. Gold leaf and abstract backgrounds add a note of reverence, elevating everyday laborers into icons of cultural history.
One of my most significant works portrays an elderly Emirati woman weaving a basket, her hands lined with experience, seated against a glowing gold backdrop. The monochrome rendering gives her presence, and the gold raises her status: she is not simply a laborer but a guardian of tradition. Another shows a fisherman mending his net, its woven strands echoing the threads of history he carries forward.
Through my work, I aim to bridge the gap between generations. Shown in an art gallery, my UAE heritage paintings invite viewers to reflect on the hands that built our past and on the evolving identities that will shape our future.
CEATIVE MILESTONE
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2025
MFA - Fine Arts, Emphasis in Painting, Academy Of Arts University, United States.
2020
EMBA - Executive Masters in Business Administration, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates.
2007
Ph.D. in Linguistics, School Of Oriental And African Studies (Soas), University Of London, United Kingdom.
2003
M.A. in Arabic/ English Applied Linguistics And Translation, School Of Oriental And African Studies (Soas), University of London, United Kingdom.
1999
B.A. in English Language and Literature, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates.
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ALMURABBAA ARTS FESTIVAL – (ORGANIZED BY DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, CULTURE & MEDIA – AJMAN)
5 – 8 DECEMBER 2025
INTERNATIONAL HUNTING & EQUISTARIAM EXHIBITION - AL AIN
26 - 30 NOVEMBER 2025
MARITIME HERITAGE FESTIVAL (0RGANIZED BY ABU DHABI CULTURE)
14 - 23 NOVEMBER 2025
ABU DHABI 2018 INTERNATIONAL HUNTING & EQUESTRIAN EXHIBITION (SOLO ARTIST)
26 – 30 NOVEMBER 2026
HUNNA MULHIMAT (ORGANIZED BY UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH)
28 AUGUST - 7 SEPTEMBER 2025
SAKINAH: SILENT SYMPHONY (ORGANIZED BY ART 4 YOU)
23- 29 AUGUST 2025
FACETS OF A FATHER (ORGANIZED BY ETIHAD MODERN ART GALLERY)
21 - 30 JUNE 2025
Index 2019
17- 19 September 2019
Dubai World Art 2019
3-6 April 2019
Index 2018
16- 19 September 2018
The Little Birdie Pop Up Market 2018/ Al Zeina
14 March 2018
Dubai Jazz Festival
21-23 February 2018
Winter carnival - Abu Dhabi Mall
17- 23 December 2017
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Epiphany (Organized by Citizen E Gallery)
1- 3 August 2017
Year of Zayed (Organized by Alfalasi.Artz Gallery)
28-30 January 2018
Sikka 2018 (Organized by Akkas Visual Arts)
17-26 March 2018
UAE - Japan A Collaboration Bring Oil & Trade (Invited Exhibitor by ADNOC Gender Balance Committee)
8-10 May 2018
Art Souq (Organized by Etihad Modern Art Gallery)
8 May- 31 July 2018
Abu Dhabi 2018 International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (Organized by Reflections Gallery)
25-29 September 2018
Emirati Photos (Participant Photographer & Organizer)
25 November – 6th December 2018
Tashkeel (Organizer & Exhibitee)
11- 26 February 2019
Sikka 2019 (One of Akkas Visual Art Organizing Team )
16-24 March 2019
Facets of a Father (Organized by Etihad Modern Art Gallery)
21 - 30 June 2025
Sakinah: Silent Symphony (Organized by Art 4 You)
23- 29 August 2025
Hunna Mulhimat (Organized by University of Sharjah)
28 August - 7 September 2025
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2025
Director of the National Qualification Centre
Ministry of Higher Education & Research, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2022 - 2025
Division Director – Vocational Education Affairs
Rabdan Academy, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2018 - 2022
Deputy Vice Chancellor - Continuing Education
Emirates College For Advanced Education, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2016 - 2018
Dean Of Student Life
The Petroleum Institute, A Part Of Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2013 - 2017
Assistant Professor of Communication Department, College of Arts & Sciences
The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE