Faces at the RAK Art Collection

A Moment of Continuity

The inauguration of the RAK Art Collection Museum marks an important cultural moment for the region. More than the opening of a new space, it represents a thoughtful continuation of an ongoing dialogue between art, memory, and contemporary practice across the Middle East and North Africa.

The RAK Art Collection is founded on a curatorial philosophy rooted in continuity—an understanding that the most vital artistic contributions of the region emerge not from rupture, but from an ongoing conversation with history, identity, and material culture. This approach resonates deeply with my own practice, making the inclusion of my work within the collection especially meaningful.

What makes the experience even more powerful is the museum building itself. The architecture is calm, deliberate, and beautifully restrained. Light, texture, and proportion work together to create a contemplative environment where the building does not compete with the artworks, but quietly holds them. The space encourages stillness, reflection, and attentiveness—allowing each work to be encountered with clarity and presence. In many ways, the architecture becomes part of the exhibition’s language.

I am honored that my work Faces has been acquired and is now on display as part of this prestigious collection.

Created in December 2024, Faces is a series of four sculptural portraits cast in glass and presented on stainless steel stands. The works explore the human face not as a likeness, but as a site of inner tension—where fragility and strength coexist, where fracture becomes a form of expression rather than damage, and where silence carries weight.

The series includes:

• Fractured Face (Blue glass) 52 × 38.5 × 8 cm

• Face (Blue glass) 55 × 30.5 × 8 cm

• Fractured Face (White transparent glass) 52 × 30.5 × 8 cm

• Face (Black glass) 42 × 20 × 8 cm

Each face stands independently, yet together they form a quiet constellation—linked by material, process, and an unspoken emotional continuity. Glass, with all its vulnerability and resilience, remains central to my exploration of the human condition. The stainless steel stands act as grounding elements, offering balance and restraint.

I am deeply grateful to Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa for his visionary support of the arts and for creating a collection—and now a museum—that honors both legacy and experimentation. The RAK Art Collection is not merely an archive of objects; it is a living ecosystem that reflects an enduring commitment to artistic inquiry and cultural stewardship.

To have Faces become part of this ecosystem is a privilege I carry with great pride and responsibility.

Warmly,

Jamal AlYousif