Faris Alshafar: Everybody Changes Underwater at Aisha Alabbar Gallery, Dubai — 16 Nov 2026–6 Jan 2027

Aisha Alabbar Gallery presents “Everybody Changes Underwater”, the first solo exhibition by Emirati artist Faris Alshafar, opening during Alserkal Art Week. The new oil paintings mark his move from monochrome into colour. Drawing on music, video games and everyday moments of change, the works are arranged like episodes and look at how people alter their appearance and behaviour in response to desire and expectation. Palettes move from icy to nautical to earthy tones; figures hang like marionettes in structural negative space, among glyph-like marks that recall shells, clock hands and candles.
| Exhibition | Faris Alshafar: Everybody Changes Underwater |
|---|---|
| Artist(s) | Faris Alshafar (b. 1995, UAE; based in Dubai and New York) |
| Gallery | Aisha Alabbar Gallery (Alserkal Avenue, Dubai) |
| Exhibition type | Solo exhibition (the artist’s first) — painting, oil on canvas |
| Dates | 16 November 2026 – 6 January 2027 (closing date per Alserkal Avenue; the gallery page states “January 2027”). Opening reception: not published — check with the gallery |
| Address | Warehouse C-19, Alserkal Avenue, 17th Street, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Opening hours | Monday–Saturday 10:00–18:00; closed on public holidays |
| Phone | +971 4 344 7747 |
| [email protected] | |
| Gallery website | aishaalabbar.art |
| Official exhibition page | Aisha Alabbar Gallery — Everybody Changes Underwater · Alserkal Avenue listing |
| Artist page | Faris Alshafar at Aisha Alabbar Gallery |
| Social media | Gallery: Instagram @aisha_alabbar_gallery · Facebook. Artist accounts not verified — check with the gallery. |
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Read the Art Fair analysis
Our in-depth article on this exhibition explores Alshafar’s turn to colour and his “episodic” approach to painting. For more openings in Istanbul, Ankara, London, Paris, Spain, Dubai and the United States, see Upcoming Art Exhibitions in Leading Galleries.
Cover image: Faris Alshafar, Everybody Changes Underwater, exhibition visual. © the artist. Courtesy the artist and Aisha Alabbar Gallery. Details are taken from the official Aisha Alabbar Gallery exhibition and contact pages and the Alserkal Avenue programme; please confirm hours with the gallery before visiting.