SDG 17 : Partnerships for the Goals

Najat Makki, a pioneering artist from the United Arab Emirates, explores color, form, and rhythm through symbolic expressionism. Early in her career, her work reflected strong themes of time and place, evolving into harmonious, rhythmic abstractions that emphasize the interconnectedness of composition elements. Najat graduated from Cairo’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 1982 and earned her PhD there in 2002.

She has showcased her art in numerous local, Arab, and international exhibitions. In 2012, supported by the Emirates Foundation, she spent four months at the City of International Arts in Paris, where she led artistic experiments and workshops, including a collaboration blending poetry and painting with a French poet. Najat’s accolades include the UAE State Appreciation Award in Science, Arts, and Literature (2008), the Jury Award at the Sharjah International Arts Biennale (1993), the International Love Biennale Award in Damascus (silver medal, 1999), the GCC Biennale Award in Qatar (1998), and the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from France.