Inside Vogue Arabia and Bvlgari’s Event with HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi
Vogue Arabia and Bvlgari celebrate arts and culture with an intimate evening under the patronage of HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi at Bait Elowal
On Monday night at Bait Elowal, selected guests came together for an intimate cultural evening hosted under the patronage of HH Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi by Vogue Arabia in collaboration with Bvlgari. An ode to arts and culture, the event celebrated and amplified regional artistic talent, reflecting Vogue Arabia’s dedication to supporting creative talent across the Gulf and Bvlgari’s enduring dedication to arts and culture. Distinguished guests, creatives and cultural leaders gathered around a curated program of visual arts and heritage – featuring works by Al Maha Jarrala, Maryam Al Homaid, Fatimah Al Nemer, Azza Al Qubaisi, Omar Al Gurg and Rabab Tantawy – highlighting the power of connectivity and creative dialogue at the heart of this meaningful collaboration. Hosting the evening in Sharjah carried particular significance, recognising the Emirate’s longstanding leadership in nurturing the region’s cultural scene under the guidance of Her Highness.
In his welcome note, Manuel Arnaut, Head of Editorial Content at Vogue Arabia said: “We are here today to celebrate a very special evening where Vogue Arabia and Bvlgari are amplifying and supporting regional artists. If you read Vogue, you will know that we are deeply passionate about promoting the art scene in the Gulf and the incredible talents behind it. Through its leadership and the work of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour, Sharjah has been leading in the creative and educational sectors, and therefore it’s an honor to play a small part in this journey.” In her address, HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, shared “I am very pleased to welcome Bvlgari and Vogue Arabia to Bait Elowal and to Sharjah in celebration of regional artistic talent. Beyond our collaboration, what unites us is a shared conviction that creativity deserves space, attention, and thoughtful stewardship.” She added, “Several artists present tonight have previously shared their work through Sharjah’s initiatives, including Tanweer, while others join us through this partnership. Together, they represent a region grounded in heritage and increasingly confident in expressing its unique perspectives, experiences and aspirations.” While Stéphane Larher, managing director of Bvlgari said “I am pleased to welcome you in Sharjah for a very special night surrounded by art and culture. The mission for Bvlgari is to give a voice to this community for them to express the arts and culture.”
Across the evening, the artists’ works offered a layered dialogue between heritage and contemporary expression. Al Maha Jaralla drew inspiration from ancient Arabic astronomy, where the night sky was both a map and a language, transforming constellations and celestial diagrams into a modern artistic expression connecting heritage with the infinite. Maryam Al Homaid reflected on the moon as a guide across Qatar’s seas and deserts and within Islamic tradition, using pixelation and Rockite to mirror the dialogue between change and preservation – shifting traditions alongside the desire to protect heritage. Fatimah Al-Nemer reimagined traditional regional forms, the hand of the mortar and the buq (3s), as a monumental sculptural piece engraved with drawings narrating Saudi folklore through patterns and symbols, while also becoming an immersive sound experience, with distant chants of women singing to the moon echoing heritage and memory in a poetic way.
From the Art Metaphor Series, Azza Al Qubaisi presented Abaya - Ghoneela, a piece that captures and represents the past, present and future, directly relating to women and their identity and reflecting the evolution of identity across generations. Omar Al Gurg brought forward Spike, a versatile piece “all our pieces are interactive and playful and develop a sentiment between people and their furniture,” says Al Gurg. Closing the narrative on human connection, Rabab Tantawy presented In Between, an artwork that explores the nature of human connection, the effortless bonds, the strained relationships and the quiet unspoken spaces that exist between us. The figures overlap and lean into one another, suspended in a way that feels both intimate and uncertain, reflecting how closeness and distance often coexist. “It’s about human connection, how we come in together and how we rely on each other and now that Ramadan is coming it’s the perfect opportunity to show the work,” shares Tantawy.
Check out all the highlights from the evening below.
1/21Manuel Arnaut and HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi
2/21Manuel Arnaut, Nathaly Khoury, HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Stephane Larher and Victoire Pozzo Di Borgo
3/21Dinner setting
4/21Rabab Tantawy and Khalid Shafar
5/21HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Manuel Arnaut and Emirati craftswomen
6/21Juma Al Jaj, Rabab Tantawy, Omar Al Gurg and Patricia Millns
7/21Thomas Khoury and Khadija Al Bastaki
8/21HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi and Nujoom Al-Ghanem
9/21Maya El-Mouhaier, Nathaly Khoury and Carla Dabis
10/21Sara Al Khayyal
11/21Waleed Othman
12/21Aisha Miranda
14/21
15/21Maya El-Mouhaier, Jeannine Yazbeck and Zina Khair
16/21Ana De Castro and Zainab Al Hashimi
17/21Nermine Kashef and Garineh Torossian
18/21Rumana Nazim, Jafar Dajani, Manuel Arnaut, Zina Khair, Ala Jasser and Juma Al Haj
19/21HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi with artist Omar Al Gurg
20/21Manuel Arnaut and HH Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi
