Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art Business
Abstract
This dissertation examines the journeys and challenges faced by female artists in the Middle East as they strive for recognition and legitimacy within the region’s evolving art markets. By comparing the lived experiences of artists from the Levant, where creativity often flourishes in grassroots and diaspora circles, to those cultivating their careers amid the state-driven, rapidly expanding cultural landscape of the Gulf, the research brings distinct artistic perspectives into conversation. Combining interviews, theoretical inquiry, and analysis of press releases, essays, and market data, the study highlights how history, political context, and institutional structures shape opportunities and obstacles. Central chapters show how artists negotiate visibility and value, and how gender and geography influence access to collectors, exhibitions, and critical recognition. By tracing key differences and emerging connections between the Levant and Gulf art scenes, this work not only advances understanding of gender and legitimacy in the Middle Eastern art market, but also points to future pathways for collaboration, innovation, and inclusion. As art landscapes shift across borders, the experiences of female artists prompt us to reconsider what constitutes meaningful legitimacy and recognition.
Recommended Citation
Alzaim, Noura, "How do Female Artists in the Middle East Navigate Art Market Legitimacy, and How do Experiences Differ Between the Levant and Gulf Regions?" (2026). MA in Art Business Dissertations. 7.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_art_bus/7