United Arab Emirates

Festival Blog

Posts tagged with United Arab Emirates

Cutting board containing a lineup of snacks: pink circles, green and white slices of guava, a hard-boiled egg, and two pinched of pinkish powders.

By Our Interns, Foodways

Journey to the Zest: Food Memories in Taiwanese and Middle Eastern Flavors

February 16, 2023 | Stephanie Chen

My own culinary moment of inspiration came in a small packet of sumac.

A man uses sign language, standing in front of a brightly colored painting on canvas of two men against a pink background.

Art & Design, Language

Speaking with the Hand and the Eye: The Expressive Art of Victor Sitali

December 8, 2022 | Sophie Henry

According to artist Victor Sitali, stories begin in the eye.

Woman dressed in patterned headscarf and dress stands at a microphone, gesticulating with one hand and holding a smartphone with the other. She wears sparkling purple eyeliner.

Poetry

How Spoken Word Helps Maitha Al Suwaidi Grow, Heal, and Flourish

November 29, 2022 | AJ Jolish

Raised in Sharjah, Al Suwaidi attended NYU Abu Dhabi, where she first found inspiration to share her poetry at an open-mic night.

A young man in white tunic and head covering kneels on a stage, holding a brass mortar and pestle. To the side, a low table holding three brass spouted pots.

Foodways, Traditional Knowledge

The Welcoming Drink: Coffee Culture in the UAE

September 29, 2022 | Mioko Ueshima

In the UAE, the clinking of pestle against mortar signals fresh gahwa, and anyone in the neighborhood is welcome to join.

Two men, both wearing tan leather aprons, tend to a piece of meat on an outdoor grill. One is holding a meat thermometer, and the other a tinfoil-wrapped bundle and a woven mat.

Foodways, Immigration & Migration

“No Translation Necessary”: Hattem Mattar’s Third Culture Barbecue

September 9, 2022 | Annabella Hoge

Barbecue has taken Mattar around the world, and he’s been hailed as the world’s first Arab pitmaster.

A woman holds a microphone up to the mouth of a camel. Another camel sits in the desert sand behind her.

Art & Design, Environment

Soundscapes of the UAE: How Sound Challenges Stereotypes

August 25, 2022 | Yuer Liu

This is the first original sound installation created for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Close-up of a young girl nuzzling the head of a cream and brown falcon against her cheek.

Cultural Transmission, Sports & Games

Partners in Flight: The Women Falconers of the UAE

August 4, 2022 | Yuer Liu

For Ayesha Al Mansoori, learning the ancient art of falconry was not for sustenance or sport.

A woman, seated holding a microphone, smiles looking at the kids drawing at tables on either side of her.

Art & Design, Social Justice

Asma Baker’s Art from the Heart

July 29, 2022 | Gloria Koo

Asma Baker is a successful artist, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and poet who lives in the United Arab Emirates.

A woman in white blouse and headscarf smiles, standing in front of a silver metal surface on a wall, containing hand-painted eye-shaped magnets in shades of blue, white, and purple. Above it, photo prints of similar artworks, the magnets arranged in flower shapes.

Art & Design

Painting Palm: How Azza Al Qubaisi Explores Emirati Identity in Art

July 26, 2022 | Annabella Hoge

The date palm tree is native to the UAE, with one estimate that the country is home to 40 million date palms.

Two women lean over a small, wooden architecture model and adjust the walls. They are both looking down at the structure and in the background is a striped, black and white wall.

Building Arts, Environment

Where the Modern and the Vernacular Meet in Emirati Architecture

July 12, 2022 | Sophie Henry

Three architects give insights on reconciling the ancient built heritage of the UAE with modern problems and tools.

United Arab Emirates

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