A mini solo exhibition at the Beach art Museum at Rizhao Binhai International Land Art Festival.
These past fifteen years of living in China have been full of surprises. Last Saturday Aug 2nd at the opening of the land art Beach festival was one of them.
I am delighted to exhibit this small collection of paintings on the waterway of Dubai made over two decades ago at a most unusual venue …. inside a huge TV…under an octopus…. next to the beach. This series foccusses on the first public transport in Dubai , one of the most exhilarating journeys I believe you can take by public transport.
Into the distance oil on board 20x 20 cm Niamh Cunningham 2006
Going Solo oil on board 40 x 20 Niamh Cunningham 2005
A huge thank you to curator Qiu Tian 邱天 with whom I have worked on previous land art projects . Although I did not have time to make land art on this occasion it was great opportunity to show this water related mini solo exhibition , to meet artist friends with whom I have worked in Wudi Land Art 2018 such as Sun Guo Zhuan 孙国娟，Feng Kailan 冯开兰， Lee Xina 李席拿， also meeting lovely new friends, Fan Chaowei 范朝炜，Liu Donglu 流东路， and sculptor Du 杜为福.
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Regarding my series on the Abra water taxis, the first half of the Abra series is collected by Tamani Hotel group, Dubai Marina , Dubai UAE .
Part of the Abra collection at the Tamani Hotel , Dubai Marina , Dubai
The second part of this series is collected by Beijing Starlight Art Culture and Tourism Development Co.， Ltd.
The 10 artworks above are part of the collection currently managed and curated by Beijing Starlight Art Culture and Tourism Development Co., Ltd
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In the pulse of water, the city unfurls like a flowing canvas. Al Khor, the ancient lifeline of Dubai, once witnessed pearl expeditions in silence and now serves as a tranquil passage through the modern metropolis. Abra boats— are humble ferries born from the Arabic verb abara (meaning “to cross”)—have for centuries sliced through the waters with oar strokes, weaving the bustle of BurDubai’s Old Souk with the fragrance of Deira’s Spice Souks. Aboard these water taxis, passengers feel the spray at their feet as time suspends: merchants, travelers, and residents alike become threads in the creek’s narrative.
The boats sway, wind towers glide past in silhouette, and the chugging engine echoes like a heartbeat—reminding us that water is not a boundary but a bridge between souls. Cunningham’s paintings capture this eternal interplay: from the kinetic dance of vessels in Passing Abras to the tender ripples of dusk in Creek Walk, each stroke sculpts the symbiosis of humanity and urban life.
Once an artery for pearl trade stretching beyond the Tropic of Cancer, Al Khor now rests as a seawater inlet—yet its essence as a connector endures. It whispers that cities thrive by water, and people gather by boat. Here, every ferry ride is a homage to the past and a covenant for the future: may we, like the Abra, navigate divides and let the liquid ties flow forever.
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If you would like to know more about this series of work please contact me and I can place you in contact with Beijing Starlight Art Culture and Tourism Development Co., Ltd
