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In 2026 HSBC is celebrating 80 years in the UAE. Over the past eight decades, our journey has mirrored the Emirate’s growth and diversification, shaping us into the bank that we have become – being there for our customers in the UAE, and across our global network.

Since 1946, our goal has been to serve our UAE customers. We’re there, whether it’s creating Wealth Centres to support the Emirate’s rising wealth, helping young sports players to access international tournaments, or partnering with institutional and emerging talent in the arts and culture space.

We align our priorities to the UAE’s strategic vision to unlock the true power of our international networks – opening up a world of opportunity.

The Art of Connection – Presented by HSBC

Read the transcript (1-page PDF 98KB)

What does it feel like to make your international debut in the global art world?

In The Art of Connection, we follow the journeys of UAE-based talents Fatma Al Ali, Simrin Mehra Agarwal, and Dina Nazmi Khorchid – participants in Abu Dhabi Art’s ‘Beyond Emerging Artists’, an annual mentorship programme sponsored by HSBC that nurtures new talent and creativity.

Also available to watch on OSN TV Network, this documentary captures their first steps towards international recognition as they prepare for their first shows in Hong Kong and London, shining a light on the power of connection—not just for the artists as they navigate the competitive global art scene, but also for us, the audience, as we discover new perspectives through their work.

Meet the artists

Fatma Al Ali (b. 1994)

An Emirati multidisciplinary artist, Al Ali combines sculpture, works on paper, moving image and spatial installations. Her work interrogates narratives surrounding the pre-union Gulf, drawing from historical documents, oral accounts and cultural memory to explore how identity, territory and history are shaped, erased and reimagined. Discover more about Fatma Al Ali

Simrin Mehra Agarwal (b.1979)

A diver and multidisciplinary UAE-based artist of Indian heritage, Agarwal’s works span drawing, painting, relief, collage, assemblage, sculpture, installation and moving image. She focuses on fragile marine ecosystems in the Gulf, questioning our understanding of nature within the context of histories of war, neglect and contemporary issues of climate change. Her pieces are a multilayered and complex compositions that create immersive environments to leave viewers with a promise of a utopian world of biodiversity and multispecies cohabitation. Discover more about Simrin Mehra Agarwal

Dina Nazmi Khorchid (b.1987)

A visual artist of Palestinian descent, Khorchid primarily works with woven and printed textiles. Her work constructs narratives of place and connections to lost bodies, through mark-making, photography, drawing and material research, to explore displacement, ecological grief, land and memory access, informed by personal and collective histories of loss and belonging. Discover more about Dina Nazmi Khorchid

The HSBC Global Art Collection

It was more than a century ago in 1923, when Alexander Stephen, then Chief Manager, purchased the bank’s first paintings by George Chinnery – an artist who portrayed many facets of life and locations in 19th century Asia. In the decades since then, the collection has grown to more than 3,000 works, many of which are displayed in bank buildings across the world and reflect the long history of a bank founded in 1865 to finance trade between Asia and the West.

Today, the HSBC art collection celebrates the different perspectives of our people, our customers, and the communities we serve. It champions inclusivity by showcasing a range of emerging and established artists whose work explores their varying experiences of the world.

HSBC Middle East & Art

Art is so much more than the personal expression of the person who created it. It is a powerful platform that moulds identities, preserves heritage and connects disparate communities. At HSBC, we view art as a bridge linking economies, cultures and generations.

We are proud to support its growth across the UAE, the wider MENAT region and on the global stage. As the UAE accelerates its vision to become a global centre for culture and the creative economy, HSBC will also continue investing in initiatives that promote cross-border exchange, empower creative ambition and ensure that stories from this region continue to shape global perspectives.

HSBC’s Different Perspectives

The HSBC Different Perspectives global art series brings together pieces from our permanent collection that offer a distinct and compelling lens on the complexities of the human experience - challenging us to examine the world in new and unexpected ways.

Together, these artists form a constellation of voices, united not by geography but a shared exploration of connection, transformation and evolution in how we inhabit and interpret our world.

Featured works


Image	Text
	Mohammed Kazem (b.1969, UAE) Sound of Desert (2022) A pioneer of Emirati contemporary art, Kazem transforms fleeting phenomena into visual form. Sound of Desert captures the intangible movement of light and sound in the desert landscape. © Mohammed Kazem. Courtesy of the Artist and Gallery Isabelle, Dubai.
	Alvaro Barrington (b.1983, Venezuela) Sea and Waves BY, 2022 (2022) Barrington’s art is shaped by his Caribbean roots and community spirit. In this piece, made for Notting Hill Carnival, he fuses reclaimed materials and sunset imagery to evoke memories of migration, and the sea as a bridge between cultures. © Alvaro Barrington. Courtesy of the Artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London.
	Vivien Zhang (b.1990, China) Latent Heat (2024) Zhang, who grew up in China, Kenya, and Thailand, creates abstract landscapes where global motifs collide. In Latent Heat, she uses colour and mathematical systems to reflect on technology, climate, and the unpredictability of creativity. © Vivien Zhang. Courtesy of the Artist and Pilar Corrias.
	Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim (b.1962, UAE) My Garden Details (2021) Ibrahim’s work is deeply rooted in his Khorfakkan environment. My Garden Details draws on the flora of his home, translating the textures and rhythms of his garden into vibrant, organic forms on canvas. © Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim. Courtesy of the Artist and Lawrie Shabibi
	Emmanuel Awuni (b.1993, Ghana) Make Love Not War (2024) & Bethesda (2025) London-based Awuni draws on Afro-diasporic traditions to explore identity and healing. Make Love Not War expresses purity and faith through music, while Bethesda evokes spiritual transformation and recovery, blending personal and cultural narratives. © Emmanuel Awuni. Courtesy of the Artist.
	Alya Hatta (b.1999, Malaysia) 100 Kilos Uphill, Hour One & Hour Two (2023) Hatta’s vibrant mixed-media works reflect her Southeast Asian heritage and diasporic experience. Inspired by a challenging hike, these pieces weave together personal memory, community, and the mystical beauty of nature. © Alya Hatta. Courtesy of the Artist.
	Xiao Wang (b.1990, China) Portrait, October (2022) Now based in New York, Wang’s figurative paintings capture the psychological tension of migration. Portrait, October uses symbolic colour and uncanny landscapes to reflect on Chinese identity and the complexities of belonging. © Xiao Wang. Courtesy of the Artist.
	Phoebe Unwin (b.1979, UK) Pregnant Landscape (2018) British artist Unwin blurs the line between figuration and abstraction. Pregnant Landscape merges bodily and natural forms, inviting viewers to reflect on perception, memory, and the fertile space between figure and landscape. © Phoebe Unwin. Courtesy of the Artist and Amanada Wilkinson Gallery.

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