Yaser Askar talks about the role and future of Gallery Ward – the first gallery to open in Dubai’s d3 district

Gallery Ward founder Yaser Askar. Courtesy Ahmed Khaled

There’s a growing recognition in the UAE for the discipline of design. Last year’s first edition of Dubai Design Week was a huge success, with the recently inaugurated Dubai Design District – d3 – also gaining traction.

Gallery Ward, which was formerly located in Al Quoz and dedicated to Egyptian art, has moved to d3 and is now a multidisciplinary space.

Gallery Ward founder Yaser Askar talks about the move and changes.

On opening Gallery Ward in Dubai

“Dubai is a flourishing city and it has been growing in many aspects that have made it a regional – and even international centre – for several industries, with art high on the list. It has many high-profile art events, institutions, and resources for artists, which has made Dubai a major destination in the global art world. We felt that opening here was a necessary move to introduce and promote Egyptian art to a wider audience.”

On focusing on Egyptian art

“I don’t believe in “nationalising” art – however I do believe that artists benefit from their location and culture in their art, so when I say Gallery Ward promotes Egyptian art, I am referring to art that comes from Egypt, inspired by its history, geography, diversity and culture. We wanted to promote it through a bigger platform for an international audience and add to the art scene in the UAE.

“The genuine friendships I had formed with artists in Egypt while studying architecture is what drove me into the arts.

“And 20 years later, regardless of business and formalities, the continuous support of artists is what Gallery Ward stands for.”

On reaction in the UAE

“Having been in Dubai for more than three years, we are very pleased and thankful for people’s responses to our exhibitions. They were a means to clear up misconceptions and to show what Egypt has to offer.

“We are going to present international artists at our new space to show more coherent and thought-provoking exhibitions, nonetheless, our focus remains on Egyptian art.”

On the move to d3

“We are keeping up with the pace of growth of the city and we are honoured to be part of its newest creative hub. Dubai Design District is a long-planned initiative to build a community for art, design and creativity in Dubai, and we are relocating there to improve our active role in influencing and shaping the art scene.”

On the role of design

“We have added design and applied arts to our programme.

“Building on our experience with contemporary art, we feel it is essential to be a platform for designers as well, to help distinguish the qualities of design from art. Therefore we are dedicating a section of the space to a permanent display of innovative design objects and ideas, and we will host design-­based exhibitions.

“Many of the sculptors we work with, such as Ahmed Abdel Fattah, will also be producing functional design objects.”

On future plans

“It has always been Gallery Ward’s mission to present significant exhibitions and to seek out promising artists. Since moving to Dubai, we feel we have filled an important void in the market by presenting a geographically focused programme. Now we are very excited to see the outcomes of collaborations between artists and between art and design.”

• For more information, visit www.galleryward.com