Portrait of a Nation: No-one said art was going to be easy

From the American Midwest to the gallery scene in Dubai and all stops in between, Sunny Rahbar's career has also been a lesson in personal development.

Sunny Rahbar, co-founder of The Third Line Gallery, spent time in many major western cities and came back to the UAE to a vibrant arts scene bubbling in Dubai. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

DUBAI // One woman’s lifelong passion is being passed on to the next generation who are helping to nurture a culture of the arts in the emirate.

Sunny Rahbar’s love of the arts began as a child and was encouraged every step of the way by her parents.

“My father is an architect and my mother is an interior designer, so I guess I’ve always had support and encouragement from my parents in pursuing a career in the arts,” says the 39-year-old Iranian-American.

“They really helped to nurture this interest by taking me to museums and art galleries from a young age.

“My mother worked with artists mainly from Iran, including musicians so I’ve had that exposure to the arts and that has stayed with me throughout my life.

Rahbar, co-founder of The Third Line art gallery in Alserkal Avenue, was born in Oklahoma before moving to Dubai with her parents when she was three.

She attended Dubai English Primary School before moving to the International School of Choueifat in Sharjah from 1986 to 1990 and then Dubai College from 1990 to 1993.

She moved to the United States, where she undertook an undergraduate course in design management at Parsons School of Design in New York and graduated in 2000.

This was followed by a six-month internship at the Guggenheim Museum in New York before she spent a year in London working at Sotheby’s, helping to organise exhibitions until 2001.

Later, she returned to New York to work for Eye Storm one of the first online art galleries.

“Then, the September 11th terrorist attacks happened in 2001 and, after insistence from my mother, I came back to Dubai,” she says.

“I returned to a city that was really developing in the arts and started to do a lot of independent project work with artists by organising exhibitions at different venues across town.”

In 2005, she set up The Third Line gallery with Claudia Cellini and Omar Ghobash.

“I believe that the arts and artists tell us the truth about ourselves and that has happened throughout time from ancient cave paintings to photojournalism nowadays,” she says.

“I also see art as a bridge that is not normally connected between what is inside us and our external environment.”

Despite its short history, the art scene in Dubai has made huge strides since The Third Line opened its doors 11 years ago.

“We have seen more galleries open up, more interest from the public and institutions for art as well as more people becoming artists,” she says.

“It’s going well but obviously we still have a long way to go when you compare us with places like New York, London and Paris.”

With the Guggenhiem nearing opening in Abu Dhabi and locations such as Dubai Opera, the UAE has the potential to have a thriving art scene.

However, artists in the UAE have a unique set of challenges and opportunities compared with their colleagues in more established markets.

“In one respect, it is a little easier because as an artist you don’t have as much competition here compared with elsewhere so you have more of a chance to get noticed,” she says.

“Although the number of galleries where artists can show their work has increased, it is still limited so the audience for art still needs to grow.

“Being an artist is not a part-time job and it’s something you have to live and breath everyday.

“It’s difficult for young artists to be able to afford a studio to work, especially with all the other expenses. So, many artists are faced with a problem of having to get jobs to be able to afford to do art.”