Afra Al Dhaheri's Split Ends Explores Hair and Concrete as Memory

Afra Al Dhaheri, an Emirati artist, explores societal constructs and the clash between the public and private through her mixed media works, which incorporate concrete and hair. Her latest solo show, 'Split Ends,' at Dubai's Green Art Gallery, features an array of materials, including cement, resin, foam, and her own hair. Having matured in 1990s Abu Dhabi, Al Dhaheri studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and returned to the UAE in 2017. She co-founded Bait 15, an artist-led space in Abu Dhabi, and serves as an assistant professor at Zayed University. Influenced by philosophers Gaston Bachelard and Juhani Pallasmaa, as well as Mona Hatoum’s 'Hair Necklace' (2013), her exhibition includes works like 'Split Ends' (2020) and 'Line Hair Drawing No. 2' (2020), curated with Munira Al Sayegh. Al Dhaheri challenges the rapid evolution of physical infrastructures compared to the rigidity of social ones, inviting audiences to reflect on the fragility of both built and social frameworks.