NOMAD - ABU DHABI 2025
The Third Line and The Third Line Shop are delighted to present a vibrant selection of artworks, design objects, limited-edition prints, and publications by artists from the MENASA region, anchored in the contemplative and formal resonances of abstraction, at NOMAD Art Fair—a traveling showcase for collectible design, contemporary art, and cultural dialogue.
Ala Ebtekar’s large-scale painting maps celestial beings against the deep, cosmic skies, while Kamran Samimi’s stone sculptures embody the layers of time, as well as the ineffable beauty, embedded in earth. Leila Nazarian merges traditional Iranian craftsmanship, such as Khatamkari (marquetry) and Ayne Kari (mirror mosaics), with the iconic skateboard—a signature object from her Californian upbringing—to reflect on cross-cultural exchange. Nima Nabavi explores geometric abstraction and its connection to the natural world, quantum processes, and psychedelic phenomena, creating intricate compositions that pulse with meditative precision. Taher Asad-Bakhtiari reinterprets traditional Iranian craftsmanship through a sculptural mirror box that blurs the line between utility and ornament.
The presentation is complemented by limited-edition prints by Amir H. Fallah, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Nima Nabavi, Sahand Hesamiyan, and artists from GarageCo—a silkscreen printing studio based in Tehran, Iran—as well as elegant ceramic pieces by Ilai Sarai, Lucas Objects, Omar Al Gurg, Ordinary Objects, and Tamara Barrage that experiment with form and texture. A new collection of chairs by Local Industries—an interdisciplinary initiative inserting Palestinian craft techniques into furniture—further bridges traditional craftsmanship and modern aesthetics. Accompanying the presentation is a curated selection of publications highlighting the visionary practices of Ala Ebtekar, Farah Al Qasimi, Farhad Moshiri, Hayv Kahraman, and Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, and Sahand Hesamiyan.
Collectively, The Third Line and The Third Line Shop’s presentation engages in dialogue with the architecture of the decommissioned Terminal 1 at Zayed International Airport, a landmark of regional modernism, replete with elements from Islamic architecture.
