Three junior fine art students were invited to exhibit at Sikka Art Fair 2026. The experimentalartworks were unglazed clay works completed in AVA’s studios under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Fine Arts Eman Alhashemi.
An official delegation from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Beijing, visited the Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) to meet with faculty and students and discuss future collaborations that would benefit both institutions and strengthen international exchange. Guests, led by AVA’s Dr. Karima Alshomely (Assistant Professor of Fine Arts), toured AVA’s facilities and met with fine arts faculty and students. The exchange was well received by everyone. CAFA’s visit was a follow up to a previous collaborative event held in Beijing.
The year 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and China. The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in China and CAFA collaborated on a joint exhibition held in Beijing entitled ”Creativity and Research for Young Artists.” The exhibition featured students’ work from CAFA and a few UAE universities. Judges awarded prizes to top artwork from both countries. Our students received first prize for “Al Thoub” by Shamma Alhammadi and third prize for “The Best Give Back” by Fatma Aljasmi. Both winning posters were part of a typography studio under the supervision of Ms. Nada Abdallah (Assistant Professor of Visual Communication).
CAFA, administered by the Chinese Ministry of Education, has fourteen schools and departments specialising in art and design education. It has over 6,000 students supported by more than 1,000 faculty and staff. As a leading academy of art and design in China, it is “committed to building a discipline structure of modern education for fine arts where disciplines such as plastic arts, design, architecture, and humanities support and influence each other.”.