Art to enjoy this weekend, from Emirati creative Hussein Sharif to Kaws

Plus, fossilised shark teeth, portraits, native plants and the backbone feature in exhibitions

Alia Hamaoui's artwork Shaded Containment is part of Carbon 12's group exhibition Backbone. Photo: Carbon 12

There's a lot to see and do for art lovers this weekend in the UAE. Innovative Emirati artist Hussein Sharif is showcasing four decades' worth of work at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, while an exhibition in Sharjah is exploring one artist's interpretation of ancient marine life. Here are five exhibitions to check out.

Dubai Summer Vibes at Opera Gallery

Opera Gallery’s summer exhibition is a varied display of works by artists from around the world. It focuses on different approaches to the styles of portraiture and abstraction, with each artwork depicting different techniques or colour palettes. The exhibition includes works by figurative artist Alex Katz, artist and designer Kaws, painter Mersuka Dopazo, sculptor and installation artist Anthony James and contemporary artist Aboudia.

Until Saturday; Opera Gallery, Dubai; 04 323 0909

Hussein Sharif: Reframing Reality at the Cultural Foundation

An in-depth look at the work of influential Emirati artist Sharif is currently on display at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi. This is a rare opportunity to look at four decades of his innovative and pioneering work across his multidisciplinary practice. From painting and drawing to collage and sculpture, Sharif’s work is a journey through the lens of postmodernism as he responds to and archives the cultural nuances of the environment and the region today.

Until Sunday; Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi; 02 657 6348

Native: Plants in the UAE at the Cultural Foundation

Also at the Cultural Foundation is an exhibition exploring plants indigenous to the UAE. It displays and informs viewers on how various elements in the surrounding atmosphere and environment affect plant growth while also examining the unique variations of colour, texture, size and behaviour of regional flora. The exhibition is made up of informative and educational art installations.

Until Sunday; Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi; 02 657 6348

Backbone Group show at Carbon 12

The group exhibition at Carbon 12 in Alserkal Avenue invites six artists to tackle the theme of the backbone. The bone, which is made up of a composition of vertebrae, disks, joints, soft tissues, nerves and the spinal cord, is a central part of the physical anatomy as well as one that has had many interpretations symbolically in various cultures.

The six creatives include Nour Malas, Alia Hamaoui, Malik Thomas Jalil, Kais Dhifi, Jana Ghalayini and duo Audrey Large and Theophile Blandet. Their works explore the theme through various mediums including painting, sculpture, video, sound and textile.

Until September 7; Carbon 12, Dubai; 04 340 6016

Beghost at Nika Project Space

The solo exhibition of London artist Nika Neelova is a collection of mesmerising sculptures, made from a variety of materials including glass, clay and fossilised shark teeth. Depicting a speculative view of ancient marine life that once inhabited Buhais Geology Park and the Jebel Buhais archaeological site in Al Madam Plain in Sharjah, the works tell a story of transformation and decay.

Displayed with Neelova’s work is the collection of Nirmal Rajah, the archaeologist who, in 2015, led an expedition to discover fossils in the Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu, India. Together, these bodies of work are in dialogue with each other, tracing the history of this land, showing remnants of a place that was once filled with water and life, leaving behind traces of a fossilised past.

Until October 5; Nika Project Space, Dubai