Ishara Art Foundation

Founded in 2019, Ishara Art Foundation is dedicated to sharing and showcasing contemporary art from South Asia. Located within Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue art district, the foundation supports emerging and established practices with the aim of advancing critical dialogue and exploring global interconnections. Ishara realises its mission through exhibitions, onsite and online programmes, education initiatives and collaborations in the UAE and internationally.

  • Organisation type Foundation
  • Year founded 2019
  • Headquartered Dubai
  • Registration United Arab Emirates
  • Website https://www.ishara.org/

Focus areas

Focus sectors

  • Arts
    • Museums
      • Art museums
    • Visual arts
    • Humanities
      • Art history
    • Arts services
      • Public arts
    • Cultural awareness

Focus populations

  • Artists and performers

Focus geographies

  • Middle East
    • United Arab Emirates
  • South Asia
    • Pakistan
    • India

Programmes

  • Collaborations
  • Educational outreach and Collection-building
  • Exhibitions
  • Programmes

Financials

Funding model

  • Foundation-administered programme awards

Primary funders

  • Smita Prabhaker

Operations

Key staff

  • Associate Director and Curator, Sabih Ahmed
  • Founder and Chairperson, Smita Prabhakar

Board members

  • Chair: Abdelmonem Alserkal, Board of Trustees
  • Colm Timothy Mcloughlin, Colm Timothy Mcloughlin
  • Hoda Taysir Barakat, Hoda Taysir Barakat
  • Myrna Ayad, Myrna Ayad
  • Sayed Abdulfattah Sayed Mansoor Sharaf, Sayed Abdulfattah Sayed Mansoor Sharaf
  • Sayed Mustafa Sayed Mohd. Naim Alhashmi, Sayed Mustafa Sayed Mohd. Naim Alhashmi
  • Smita Prabhakar, Founder and Chairperson

Contact details