ArtDayMe: Azadeh Jafarian: Najat Makki holds a unique place in the cultural narrative of the UAE as the first Emirati woman to earn a Ph.D. in art. After completing her MFA in sculpture in Cairo, she returned home determined to expand her creative language beyond a single medium. Painting, collage, assemblage, and mixed media became integral to her practice, allowing her to explore form and meaning with remarkable freedom.

A defining example of this approach is her large-scale Untitled (1993) mixed-media work, created using acrylic, metallic paint, and a copper door handle on board laid on panel in four parts. The incorporation of architectural elements reflects Makki’s interest in thresholds, domestic memory, and the traces of lived experience. The work stands as a testament to her ability to merge conceptual depth with material experimentation.

The significance of this artwork was affirmed on the international stage when it was offered at Christie’s on 18 April 2012 as part of the Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art sale. Estimated at USD 10,000–15,000, the work exceeded expectations, achieving a price realized of USD 23,750. The result highlighted growing institutional and collector recognition of Makki’s role in shaping modern Emirati art.

Her works are immediately recognizable for their rich textures, dynamic surfaces, and expressive use of color. Makki moves fluidly between abstraction and symbolism, drawing inspiration from Emirati heritage, folklore, architecture, and the natural environment. Rather than depicting these elements directly, she translates them into layered compositions that evoke time, memory, and emotional presence. Texture becomes a narrative device, and color functions as a carrier of cultural memory.

Beyond the auction market, Makki’s legacy is firmly embedded within the UAE’s cultural institutions. Her works are held in major public collections, including Sharjah Art Museum, the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation in Dubai, the Women’s Museum in Dubai, and the Ministry of Culture and Youth in Abu Dhabi. Through these collections, her work continues to engage new generations of viewers.

Makki herself articulates the lasting power of visual art with clarity: “Words are spoken, and then they disappear. But once you look at a painting, if it resonates with you, then it will stay with you forever — it will always keep you thinking.” This sentiment encapsulates her enduring contribution to Emirati art—an oeuvre that resists immediacy and instead invites contemplation, ensuring that memory, once seen, is never forgotten.