Mounira Al-Solh
‘In Blood in Love’
The Lebanese artist’s ongoing collaborative project with groups of women from across Sri Lanka was on show in Abu Dhabi recently as part of a traveling iteration of the contemporary arts festival Colomboscope. The theme of the festival was “Language is Migrant,” and Al-Solh’s project comprises charcoal on wall and embroidery using 50 words related to love translated into Tamil and Sinhala.
Rooofa
‘Dounia’
The Algerian rapper’s latest track — released this month on Universal MENA — is delivered over a reggaeton soundtrack and “tells the story of how easy it is in life to get distracted,” according to a press release. “Rooofa wanted to convey how essential it is to focus on our goals as this is where eventually you will find your happiness,” it continues.
Al-Fardan Jewelry
‘With Relatives’
The UAE-based brand collaborated with two members of the Abu Dhabi royal family — Sheikha Alyazia Al-Nahyan and Sheikha Hamda Al-Nahyan — on this Ramadan capsule necklace, which is billed as a “hero piece” of its latest collection. The medallion features Sheikha Alyazia’s handwriting and — according to Al-Fardan — the necklace “is reflective of Ramadan’s spirit of bringing families together, sharing positivity and the art of giving.”
Tamer Nafar
‘Go There’
The Palestinian rapper’s latest solo release (Nafar is a founding member of Arabic hip-hop pioneers DAM) is a typically smart and biting diatribe against the occupation of his homeland over a drill soundtrack. Nafar traces the ongoing violence in Palestine back to the days of the British Empire, and notes, “They left but we are still here, bending/Everyone is bleeding…”