The emotionally charged, expressionistic figurative paintings of the Emirati artist Mohamed Al Mazrouei come to Abu Dhabi this month in a solo exhibition at the Iyad Qanazea Gallery.

Born in Tanta, Egypt, in 1962 and based in the UAE since the mid-1980s, the multidisciplinary artist often focuses on the human face and body through expressive brushstrokes and the recurring motif of large, piercing eyes in his figurative work.

A poet and writer as well, Al Mazrouei has over the last four decades painted canvases laden with archetypal symbols, color, and expressive figures inspired by myth and memory. He also champions creative freedom through his work, inviting viewers to confront uncomfortable emotions and the depths of human experience.

“Blindness denies vision,” wrote Al Mazrouei in his artist statement. “Thus we become controls over a meaning that imposed its physicality on societies and human issues, breaking them up into two divisions that only respond to the need to be rid of pains that do not belong to us.”

Titled the “The Blind Man,” Al Mazrouei’s exhibition continues his exploration of ideas related to human perception, instinct, and the unseen forces that shape our understanding of daily life and the world we inhabit.

Date: Sept. 11–Oct. 25

Location: Iyad Qanazea Gallery, Abu Dhabi