Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Artbooth Gallery: A Shared Vision for Art and Cultural Exchange

As part of its ongoing commitment to cultural dialogue, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi highlights a collaboration with Artbooth Gallery through conversations with its founder and one of the exhibiting artists. This article explores how collaboration between academic and cultural institutions supports cultural engagement, emerging talent, and cross-cultural dialogue in Abu Dhabi.

Interview with Roger El Khoury, Founder of Artbooth Gallery, on Collaboration with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Why is collaboration between Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Artbooth Gallery important? 

A collaboration between Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Artbooth Gallery is important because it bridges academic study and practical art engagement, supports cultural exchange and emerging talent, strengthens the local and international art ecosystem, and creates professional opportunities for students and artists alike.

We are especially grateful to Rose-Marie, Head of the Art History Department at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, for her continuous support and dedication to connecting academia with real-world artistic practice. 

How does this partnership benefit artists and the community? 

The partnership benefits artists by increasing their visibility, providing professional and curatorial support, and connecting them to academic, cultural, and international networks. At the same time, it benefits the community by offering public access to high-quality exhibitions, encouraging cultural dialogue and education. 

What do you want visitors to experience from Soraya’s work? 

Soraya’s exhibition Encoded in Petals brings together painting, textile installation, drawing, sculpture, and spatial intervention, offering visitors a fully curated, immersive experience. Through the use of multiple mediums, the exhibition invites audiences to engage with layered messages that address climate change, resilience, and the often-unrecognized labor of women in textile traditions. The works reflect how Soraya’s ancestral heritage continues to shape her practice, while also revealing how her artistic inspiration is drawn from different stages of her life and personal journey. 

Interview with Soraya Abu Naba’a, a young artist trained in Paris

Having studied in Paris, what does it mean to you to be featured as an artist in this exhibition?

Paris has inspired artists through generations, living in this city was a constant inspiration, its history, its streets, its architecture, the inside and outside of the museums, you could see what so many books describe. It has been a long journey and a beautiful reminder how each city preserves their history, Abu Dhabi is very proud of its heritage and has become a crossroads of cultures. It has been a great opportunity to challenge myself as an artist and also an occasion to create new relationships, new conversations, finding inspiration in a different and rich culture that empowers the land as nurture and teaching, a research that I am interested in my own practice. 

How has your experience in France influenced your artistic journey, now shared with audiences in the UAE? 

It sharpened my skills, it allowed me to see in person so many great artists and great works that have inspired generations, and also works of different civilisations. Permanent and temporary exhibits were very rich in matters of technique and theme. I had a very traditional method of learning, from color theory, to life studies, perspectives classes indoor and outdoor, art history to free choice. I have kept the technical part, giving importance to the longevity in the created artwork but adapting it to my research and the space exhibited, mixing planning and intuition. 

What role do institutions like Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi play in supporting art and cultural exchange? 

Relationships are always nourishing, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, with its roots from Paris can offer the community an immense contribution in arts, culture, and different areas as well connections to its vast alumni networks. It can allow a worldwide integration of ideas and also welcomes diversity, having students coming from different parts of the world,  as Abu Dhabi itself has become world crosswords.  

What advice would you give to SUAD students interested in art and creative fields?  

To believe in themselves, experiment, research, find what they are interested in and explore the possibilities of materiality and concept. There is no straight path, and perseverance is an immense asset. Show the work and respect it as well. Creativity might not seem logical but when you find your path and rhythm it all makes sense. Now you can use social networks to reach broader audiences, use it. Make connections, visit museums, look into the past never forgetting your own identity. Inspiration finds you working. 

The exhibition will be on display until 8 March 2026. For more information, visit the exhibition page.