| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dr. Najat Makki |
| Profession | Visual Artist |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 5" (165 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
| Career | |
| Exhibitions | • 2000: Woman & Arts; International View Exhibition- Sharjah • 2002: Emirates Media Inc. Exhibition; For you Jerusalem- Abu Dubai • 2002: Tehran Biennial- Iran • 2003: Sharjah Antiquities Museum- Sharjah, UAE • 2004: Environment Exhibition at Dubai Trade Center- Dubai, UAE • 2004: Immar International Arts Workshop- Dubai, UAE • 2004: Co- Exhibition with a Colleague Artist in the Occasion of UAE President Ascension Day held by Dubai International Airport- Dubai, UAE • 2004: Book Fair Exhibition- Frankfurt- Germany • 2004: Heritage Horizons Exhibition- Abu Dhabi Officers Club, UAE • 2014: Women/Creators: Visionary Women in the Emirates Art Scene, Abu Dhabi, UAE • 2015: the UAE national Pavilion, Venice Biennial, Italy • 2016: Portrait of a Nation- Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Awards | • Jury Award, First Session of Sharjah International Biennial, UAE (1993) • Sultan Bin Owais Cultural Award (1994) • General Authority of Youth & Sports Welfare-Silver Award, UAE (1996) • Gulf Cooperation Council Biennial Award (1998) • Al Mahabaa Syrian International Biennial, Syria (1999)  • Emirates Appreciation Award for Arts, Science and Literature (2007) • The National Award for Arts, Science and Literature (2008) • Emirates Appreciation Award (2015) • Order of Arts and Letters from teh French Government (2023) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 5 August 1956 (Sunday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 69 Years |
| Birthplace | Bur Dubai |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Bur Dubai |
| College/University | College of Fine Arts, Cairo |
| Educational Qualification(s) | • A Bachelor's Degree in Relief Carvings and Metal (1982) • A General Diploma in Plastic Arts (1996) • A Master’s Degree in the Arts of Ancient Egyptian Civilisation (1998) • PhD in Philosophy of Art (Metal Coins) (2001) |
| Religion | Islam |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Social Media | • Instagram |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father- (owned a herbal medicine shop) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Najat Makki
- Najat Makki was born in the historical district of Bur Dubai before the unification of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
- In childhood, Makki was fascinated with the moon and the lunar cycles, which later influenced her work.
- She grew up near the turquoise waters of Dubai Creek, a natural view of historical significance that always inspired her. In an interview, while talking about it, Najat said,
Through the beautiful creek’s waves and colours, we were transported from one bank to another. Every day, the water had a different colour and people’s faces were reflected on the surface of the water. It was all a poetic scene.”
- Makki was sensitive to her surroundings from an early age.
- Her father owned a herbal medicine shop, and as she visited the shop regularly, Najat developed an innate sense of touch and sight. In an interview while talking about it, Najat said,
Everything has colour to me. When I was a child, my father owned an herbal medicine shop. It was full of boxes of all different herbs as well as indigo dye and alum-block. I used them all to paint on paper bags. That’s when I started to love colour. At home, I watched my sisters make cushions and curtains from brightly coloured material. I learned about light and shadow from watching my mother fold our clothes. My relationship with colour didn’t just come; I worked on it by learning from everything I saw.”
- As a child, Makki would often draw on walls with charcoal a variety of animals and birds. Not only did she draw on the walls of her house but also continued drawing on the streets of local neighbourhoods with her friends.
- It was her father who noticed her love of drawing and started providing her with pastels and colouring pencils. While talking about it in an interview, Najat said,
Thankfully my family encouraged me, unlike others who didn’t want their children to pursue art. I was lucky that my family members were understanding and tried to help me.”
- In 1977, Makki became the first Emirati woman to be granted a government scholarship to study abroad. Najat Makki, along with some of her classmates, travelled to Cairo to study art. At that time is was not common for a young girl from the conservative Gulf to study abroad. In an interview, while talking about it, she said,
My parents insisted that I should study in the UAE. There was this idea of, ‘How could a woman leave her country?’ There were social constraints against women. My parents eventually found out that in Egypt we would be in safe hands, thanks to the UAE embassy and the student accommodation. My father was worried that I might become an exile, but I insisted… It wasn’t easy. Even if my parents approved, society back then wasn’t truly aware of the role that art played.”
An old picture of Najat Makki (Front-Middle) with other artists
- While in Cairo, Najat exhibited some of her relief sculptures.
- After pursuing her post-graduation, Najat returned to Dubai and began working for the Ministry of Education, where she conducted art workshops and teacher training.
Najat Makki during her college days
- Initially, Najat delved into different materials like metal, wood, and fibreglass.
- Soon, she diverted to painting and began exploring fluorescent paints through her work in scenography for children. She also introduced a style of abstract painting to the Gulf, primarily characterised by large fields of flat, solid colour, spread across, creating areas of unbroken surface and a flat picture plane.
Najat Makki painting in her studio in Dubai
- She used the material in modern art in a unique way, often with UV-A lights that made the artwork stand out from the canvas and look three-dimensional.
- In the year 2000, Najat moved to Egypt to complete her doctorate.
- In 2015, Najat was the only woman among 15 artists that were chosen to represent Dubai at 1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the UAE, Festival of Optical Arts-Dubai Expo 2024, the National Pavilion UAE, the 56th Venice Biennale, where exhibition curator Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi picked five of her early sculptures to take pride of place.
An old picture of Najat Makki during an exhibition in Sharjah
- In 2018, Najat participated in Artists and the Cultural Foundation: The Early Years, Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation.
- A year later, her solo show Luminescence was presented at the re-opening of the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, occupying all ground-floor galleries in a historic retrospective.
- Makki gives key focus to women in all her artistic work. According to her,
A woman is life, she is a rhythm, an imprint and a soul. She is a soul that has always lived in my works.”
- In most of her artworks, Makki portrays figures that are tall, voluminous female silhouettes, exuding mystery and strength, akin to the iconic marble statue of Venus de Milo at the Louvre in Paris.
Najat Makki’s artwork
- She is immensely influenced by tales of mythology, which she discovered through reading and studying.
- Makki’s work is influenced by renowned Egyptian artists like Mokhtar, Mohamed Saeed, Hamed Nada, Brothers Wanly, Alsajini, and Saed Alsader.
- Her work is also inspired by the Emirati environment- the desert, the sea and folklore.
- Najat Makki is represented by Aisha Alabbar in the United Arab Emirates.
- Her works are in the permanent collections of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, National Council of Kuwait, Sharjah Art Museum, the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation in Dubai, Women’s Museum in Dubai and the Ministry of Culture and Youth in Abu Dhabi, among many.
- Najat has participated in many national and international exhibitions and workshops. For her exhibitions, Najat has toured countries like Egypt, France, Germany, India, Jordan, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
- She has also been a member of the jury for several awards for art and literature, including the Al Baha prize (KSA), and the Arab Forum Award for the best children’s book (Sharjah).
- Najat held her first art exhibition at Dubai’s Al Wasl Club in 1987, where she demonstrated her experimentation with acrylic paint, textiles, gypsum, henna, and certain metals.
Najat Makki posing with her artwork
- Najat is a member of the Dubai Cultural Council, the Emirates Plastic Arts Society, and Art Friends Society. She is one of the pioneers in the Emirati contemporary art scene.
- She was also a member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society.
- Her work covers a variety of styles, including realism and abstract expressionism.
Najat Makki posing with her paintings
- Besides being an artist, she is also a teacher and trains students in the UAE.
Najat Makki during an artistic guidance program
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