Afra Salman Al Suwaidi, born in the United Arab Emirates in 1992, is a visual artist whose practice navigates the intersections of memory, identity, and contemporary culture. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Zayed University in 2016 and has since emerged as a distinctive voice in the UAE’s art scene, blending references to the region’s visual heritage with a contemporary artistic language.

Her early exhibitions marked the beginning of a career that bridges both local and international arenas. In the UAE, her work has been shown at the Alliance Française in Abu Dhabi and at Do Art Do It Now, a Guggenheim Abu Dhabi exhibition held at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Abroad, she has exhibited at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center in New York, the Lessedra World Art Print Annual Exhibition in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the Imago Mundi collection in Treviso, Italy (2017). In 2022, she participated in the inaugural Beyond Emerging Artists program by Abu Dhabi Art, showcased at Cromwell Place in London—a significant milestone in her growing international recognition.

Nationally, Afra has been a regular presence at major cultural events, including the 35th and 37th Annual Exhibitions of the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah, where established and emerging artists converge. In 2020, she undertook a residency at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, a pivotal period of research and experimentation that deepened the connection between her creative process and the UAE’s cultural landscape.

Afra draws much of her inspiration from the textures, patterns, and colors of her surroundings, while exploring how traditional symbols transform in a rapidly changing world. Her visual language—spanning painting, printmaking, mixed media, and occasionally installation—seeks to translate themes of transmission, collective memory, and evolving identity into form. Her compositions often balance organic shapes with geometric structures, reflecting the dialogue between cultural heritage and the dynamism of urban modernity.

She has participated in numerous collaborative and curated projects, such as Outside In Inside Out by Engage 101 at Bait 15 (Abu Dhabi), Work in Progress by Bleep at Aisha Alabbar Art Gallery (Dubai), and Art Space, a collaboration between the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and ALDAR Properties. These engagements have allowed her to expand her network, engage in critical dialogues with fellow artists, and explore new formats for her practice.Her works now form part of several private collections within the UAE and internationally, attesting to the growing resonance of her artistic vision. As she continues to develop her practice, Afra remains committed to navigating the delicate balance between preserving the richness of her cultural heritage and inscribing it into the evolving narratives of contemporary art.