Emirati artist Abdullah Al Saadi (born 1967 in Khorfakkan) is, with
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Hassan Sharif, Hussain Sharif, and Mohammed Kazem, one of the "Pioneer Five" conceptual artists, who, in the 1980s, bolstered the contemporary art scene in the UAE and influenced a generation of artists in the region. Abdullah Al Saadi's work ranges from painting, drawing and the creation of lengthy artists' notebooks to the collection and systematic categorisation of found objects and the invention of new alphabets. A great affinity with nature and rural life informs his practice, which explores the changing environment as well as personal and cultural history.
