Belonging(s) by Dora Dalila Cheffi

UrArtU Gallery, a newly opened space at Alserkal Avenue, is pleased to present BELONGING(S), a solo exhibition by Dora Dalila Cheffi, which opened on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

We Danced Before We Knew

126x158cm Acrylic and oil on linen

Based between Tunis and Helsinki, Dora Dalila Cheffi works across painting, sculpture, video, and installation. With a background in art education from Aalto University, Finland, her practice is informed by vivid, personal observations shaped by her multicultural experience. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is included in major public collections, including the Finnish National Gallery and MACAAL (The Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden). Drawing from memory, place, and emotional geography, Cheffi transforms intimate moments into visual narratives that resonate beyond the personal.

The Light We All Carry

57x63cm
Mixed acrylic and oil on linen

Inspired by Amin Maalouf’s essay In the Name of Identity, the exhibition approaches the idea of belonging as a layered, evolving experience rather than a fixed condition. Dora Dalila Cheffii’s works explore how people and places continuously shape one another, reflecting on community, gathering, and cultural interconnection as lived realities rather than abstract concepts.

At the Beginning of the Horizon

106x144cm
Mixed acrylic and oil and linen

In a city like Dubai, defined by movement and encounter, these questions take on particular significance. Identity unfolds through the rhythms of daily coexistence across languages, traditions, and shared spaces. Belonging here is not defined by a single origin but emerges from the interactions of people who cross paths, work, and live together across cultures, forming a tapestry of shared moments.

How We Remember Each Other

61x76cm Acrylic and oil on linen

With B e l o n g i n g (s), Dora Dalila Cheffi invites viewers into a space where multiplicity is understood not as fragmentation, but as richness, where identities coexist, nourish one another, and reveal a deeper sense of shared humanity.

B e l o n g i n g (s) at Urartu Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

February 2026