The term “Arab world” comprises a vast territory spanning from the Middle East to North Africa, subsuming the Levant, Maghreb, Egypt, the Gulf Arab, and Iraq—places strongly characterized by their own history and culture. This internal diversity of the Arab world’s countries lies at the basis of Sultan Al-Qassemi’s art collection, which includes over 500 works by both modern and contemporary Arab artists, such as Shakir Hassan Al Said, Khaled Hafez, and Lara Baladi. Sultan Al-Qassemi spent over a decade amassing his collection, which was opened to the public in 2010, on the second floor of the Maraya Art Centre, in Al Qasba, the entertainment hub of Sharjah.

“What’s the point of art,” he asked in the local daily newspaper The National, “if it is not shared?”.

For more information on the Barjeel Art Collection visit this Online Exhibition and the BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors.