Efie Gallery started as a participant in last year’s All Africa Festival, setting up a temporary pavilion at Burj Plaza in Downtown Dubai, where it featured works by African painters and sculptors, including the acclaimed El Anatsui.
The gallery’s entry into the UAE art network, with a permanent space in Al Quoz’s Al Khayat Art Avenue, is part of a larger push by Dubai Culture to grow and promote creative industries, underscored in large part by the announcement of Al Quoz Creative Zone in April 2021.
Meant to be a hub for businesses involved in visual arts, cinema, music and heritage, the zone covers an area that is mostly industrial. Currently, Al Quoz’s typical tenants, automotive workshops and companies using warehouses for storage, are being inched out of the neighbourhood to make way for cultural enterprises.
Efie Gallery’s location, Al Khayat Art Avenue, is only the beginning of newly developed quarters around the industrial area of Al Quoz. Using its neighbour Alserkal Avenue as a model, Al Khayat Art Avenue is converting a cluster of warehouses into white cube galleries and other art spaces.
A number of galleries, including a photography studio, are set to open at the new avenue in the coming months.
For its opening on Tuesday, Efie Gallery founders — Valentina Mintah and her sons Kobi Mintah and Kwame Mintah — have organised a solo show of Anatsui’s recent works titled Shard Song, showcasing new metal hanging and wooden sculptures from 2022.
Valentina, who is Ghanaian-British, is a technology executive who saw a gap in the regional market for African art. Speaking to The National in October, she said: “We don’t want African art to be an afterthought. We want it to blossom with the art scene here.”
The establishment of Efie Gallery is part of that mission, which includes highlighting not only current artistic production in Africa, but also its rich histories.
Curated by Mae-Ling Lokko, an artist and educator at Yale University, Shard Song features a total of seven works, some of which present new elements in the artist’s practice.
Among these is the introduction of tones of purple and pink, as seen in his 2022 sculptures Rainbow Hues and Keyboard for Life. Anatsui is often known for using reds and yellows, borrowing from the traditional Ghanaian kente cloth.
After the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the artist has settled in his native Ghana, though he had previously worked in his studio in Nigeria. This move has influenced Anatsui’s use of material, particularly the difference between the hardwoods available in the two countries. Wood from Nsukka typically has intrinsic colours of red, yellow and white, but the Ghanaian hardwood possesses lighter shades of yellow, allowing the artist to play more with pigment.
In these sculptures, made with the help of assistants who scorch the planks to create patterned impressions and scars, Anatsui is alluding to brutal colonial histories in the African continent.
Shard Song also features three hanging metal sculptures, including a rehang of Detsi, which was shown at the gallery’s temporary pavilion last year, as well new works from 2022, Profile of a Country and Prodigal Son, which are being shown in public for the first time.
Shaped like a landmass, though an unrecognisable one, Profile of a Country is made with white and green medical bottle caps and sutured together with wire. On one side, modules of blue, yellow and white flattened liquor caps appear to be encroaching onto the white shape.
In addition to visual art, the gallery is also dedicated to promoting music, particularly old, rare and hard-to-find albums that may only exist in vinyl. Consequently, the second floor of the space houses Efie’s record gallery, which currently showcases a curated selection of vinyl records from Kobi and Kwame’s personal collection.
The brothers have been collecting records for the past two years and have managed to find rare albums during their travels around the world. Among them is an extremely rare record Prince of Space / Tanz der Leere from 1959 by Charles Wilp with the artist Yves Klein. It is a silent record, mimicking Klein’s minimalist visual works.
“We were interested in this marriage between music and art,” Kobi says, also saying that the gallery intends to promote many artistic disciplines.
“I realised that there was a world of music that only exists on vinyl,” Kwame says, explaining that records present a convergence of sonic and visual elements, with the cover art, as well as the importance of production.
The brothers are also collecting records of historical significance, including a vinyl of Ghanaian nationalist leader Kwame Nkrumah’s speeches titled Africa Speaks to the World. “Our history is very oratory, and a lot of it is passed on through songs and other oral traditions,” Kobi says.
Like visual art, records also have the appeal of scarcity and tangibility in an industry that is ruled by streaming services. “It’s a tangible ownership of work,” Kobi says. “There’s also this idea of passing it on from one owner to the next. It’s about the negotiation between collectors. Many collectors remember where they got their records and from who. There’s a connection to the music and the object.”
While the albums from the brothers’ collection are not for sale, a selection of other works are available at the gallery. In addition, Kobi and Kwame intend to invite other vinyl collectors to showcase their albums in the space.
Shard Song is on view until May 31. More information is available at efiegallery.com
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s
Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"
Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
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