Tashkeel’s Nad Al Sheba 1 Gallery hosts Of Liminal Threads by Ranim Al Halaky

Tashkeel has reopened its Nad Al Sheba 1 Gallery with Of Liminal Threads, the debut solo exhibition of Syrian-Lebanese artist and designer Ranim Al Halaky, the latest participant of the Critical Practice Programme (CPP). The exhibition opened September 16, marking a culmination of a year-long journey of research, mentorship and production, supported by Tashkeel.

Launched in 2014, CPP provides UAE-based artists with funding, studio access and mentorship over twelve months, to push the boundaries of their practice and for them to realise ambitious projects. For Ranim, the opportunity provided the critical framework to translate many years of exploration into a fully developed exhibition.

Through the guidance of mentors Dr. Samir Mahmoud and architect Faysal Tabbarah, along with collaborators in sound and film, her project matured into a multi-layered body of work that bridges memory, migration, and material experimentation. Of Liminal Threads is rooted in personal and collective memory, drawing inspiration from Ranim’s late grandmother Omaya, whose home in Damascus was once the heart of family gatherings.

Through stories, textiles and the highlights of return, Ranim revisits the fragments of summers past, including apricot jam in the kitchen, the hum of the ceiling fan and the textured Damascene blanket folded on the bed; she reimagines them as material works.

Her practice spans cyanotypes, fabric stamping, sound recordings and printed textiles; each piece acts as both archive and reinterpretation. By layering surfaces, impressions and oral histories, Ranim explores how memory can be preserved, is disrupted, and may be transformed. The works are structured in ‘chapters’, echoing the way memory unfolds, not linearly, but rhizomatically, with returns, interruptions, and stutters that carry both intimacy and estrangement. “In Of Liminal Threads, I wanted to weave fragments of journeys — both physical and emotional — into a space that speaks to transition and belonging. The works carry traces of movement, memory and pause, inviting viewers to step into the spaces in-between, where departure and arrival coexist,” Ranim said.

Ranim Al Halaky creates Of Liminal Threads.

To mark the reopening, Tashkeel is extending the exhibition experience outside gallery walls through two collaborations: with Gerbou Restaurant, located adjacent to the gallery, where Tashkeel continues the tradition of the Tashkeel Artist Special. During each exhibition, Gerbou’s chefs interview the exhibiting artist, drawing on their stories, materials and palette, to create a dessert that embodies the essence of the show. In Of Liminal Threads, the chefs’ special reimagines the act of making apricot jam with Omaya.

Presented as a rectangular form echoing a folded blanket, its surface carries blue and white impressions inspired by the cyanotypes in the exhibition. It is a dessert that marks a sweet continuation of Ranim’s storytelling, imbuing memory with taste and texture. Secondly, Tashkeel Gallery Shop offers a debut of the Tashkeel Artist Collection with Ranim’s exhibition – a new line of functional design that transforms artwork into collectible crockery. Each edition includes a mug and plate, designed in collaboration with the exhibiting artist, offering visitors the chance to take home a keepsake of the exhibition.

For Of Liminal Threads, the set highlights the signature blue tones that weave across the artist’s works, echoing the patterns and atmosphere of her installation. The Artist Collection is designed to grow with every exhibition, building an ongoing series that captures the breadth of artistic voices shown at Tashkeel, that is sold online and at the gallery. Together, the twin collaborations extend the meaning of art: from the gallery into the restaurant and then inside the home, giving audiences the opportunity to taste, collect and remember the spirit of each exhibition, provoking culinary, collectible, and cultural conversations.

The reopening of the Nad Al Sheba 1 Gallery with Ranim’s exhibition underscores Tashkeel’s role in sustaining artistic practice in the UAE. As one of the few organisations offering long-term, fully funded support to individual artists, Tashkeel’s CPP has become a vital platform for developing ground breaking projects. “CPP exhibitions demonstrate the importance of giving artists the time and resources to question, experiment and refine their voice before presenting it to the public,” says Tashkeel.

Ranim Al Halaky in Of Liminal Threads.

“Of Liminal Threads is not just an exhibition, but the result of a year dedicated to curiosity and exploration,” said Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, Founder and Director of Tashkeel. “Through the Critical Practice Programme, we are committed to nurturing artistic voices and expanding the ways in which audiences can connect with art. The collaborations, with Gerbou and the Artist Collection, are part of that mission: creating bridges between disciplines and giving visitors multiple ways to carry the story forward.”

Tashkeel is an incubator of visual art and design and a commercial consultancy rooted in the United Arab Emirates. Established in Dubai in 2008 by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Tashkeel’s facilities enable production, experimentation and discourse. Tashkeel’s incubator initiatives include Tanween, which takes a cohort of UAE-based designers through a one-year skills development programme, taking a product inspired by the UAE from concept to completion; Critical Practice, which invites visual artists to embark on a one-year skills development programme of studio practice, mentorship and training, culminating in a major solo presentation; Residencies at Tashkeel or overseas, ranging in duration and often in partnership with international partners; Make Works UAE, an online platform connecting creatives and fabricators to enable designers and artists accurate and efficient access to the UAE manufacturing sector; Exhibitions & Fairs, to highlight innovation and excellence and growing audience for art and design in the UAE.