A new exhibition by Ola Saad Znad opens this month at Al Riwaq Art Space, along with an open call for artists to apply for its upcoming residency programme.

Al Riwaq Art Space opens its 2026 programme with A Homeland Adrift Upon the Waters, an exhibition by Iraqi-born artist Ola Saad Znad, running from January 20 to March 26. The exhibition reflects on ideas of belonging, exploring what it means to carry a sense of home when it is no longer anchored to a fixed geography.

Ola left Iraq at the age of eight and grew up in Bahrain. Suspended between two worlds created a ‘gentle fracture’ of being shaped by one home while connected to another. This in-between state sits at the heart of this work, offering a unique perspective on identity, memory and how home is imagined and created.

Central to the exhibition is the Mudhif, the traditional reed architecture of the Iraqi marshes. The Mudhif represents an alternative definition of home for Ola – one constructed from land and memory. Visitors are invited to observe the careful process of its creation, where tying and weaving reeds become acts of reconnection with heritage.

Alongside the exhibition, Al Riwaq is running Application 006, its upcoming Artist Residency Programme. A 12-week intensive course focussed on art making, research and production, the programme offers individual studio space, mentorship, workshops and cultural visits. The ongoing open call runs until January 10, with the residency held from January 21 to April 13, followed by an exhibition taking place from May 12 to July 2.✤

GO: VISIT WWW.ALRIWAQARTSPACE.COM FOR APPLICATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION.