From Sharjah Watercolours to Berlin: How the UAE Shaped Artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke

As a teenager in the UAE of the 1990s, Nadia Kaabi-Linke painted watercolours of the port of Sharjah and the skating rink of Dubai’s Hyatt Regency hotel. Three decades on, now an acclaimed artist, she is preparing an event at her studio in Berlin where her guests will reflect on the art scene of that time.

Reflecting on her journey from the UAE to Germany, Kaabi-Linke shared fond memories on the day that President Sheikh Mohamed held talks in Berlin on a state visit. “I became an artist thanks to the UAE,” she stated. Born in Tunisia in 1978, she initially aspired to be a dancer, but the intimate Dubai of the 1990s lacked a matching dance school. Instead, art flourished through lessons from her Ukrainian mother, classroom watercolours, and visits to the Sharjah Art Museum.

“My career started from Sharjah,” Kaabi-Linke noted. Her work has since been deeply shaped by her multicultural roots spanning the UAE, Tunisia, Ukraine, France, and Germany. At her Berlin studio located in an old East German housing block, she hosts casual gatherings called a lamma to foster critical conversations and connect cultures, especially following the Middle East war that began on October 7, 2023.

Kaabi-Linke’s deep ties to the UAE include her father remaining in the country as a director in Emirati football. Her artistic breakthrough came in 2009 at the Sharjah Biennial with an artwork titled Under Standing Over Views, which captured the outline and openness of the seven Emirates. Having also recently exhibited Flying Carpets—acquired by the Guggenheim collection—she values how audiences across different backgrounds interpret her cross-cultural creations.

Amid shifting political landscapes and immigration debates in Berlin, including recent state election results, Kaabi-Linke remains committed to fostering dialogue. Having obtained German citizenship and built her life in the city with her husband Timo, she affirms, “This is my city. I chose her... I'm going to stand and resist the way I can.”