In the fast‑evolving realm of global contemporary art and cultural diplomacy, few visionaries have stepped forward as boldly and as timely as Shafeena Yusuff Ali. A Forbes‑recognized entrepreneur and seasoned art historian, the Founder and Executive Director of Rizq Art Initiative (RAi) has leveraged two decades of retail and hospitality leadership to craft a nimble art‑startup that champions creative intelligence from the “majority world.” Her story shows how entrepreneurial grit can shift art from luxury to social infrastructure.

Rizq Art Initiative opened its 700‑square‑metre home on Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island on 23 November 2023. Certified as a Ma’an social enterprise, the gallery recycles more than 80 percent of profits into residencies, fellowships and publications, thereby nurturing circular creative economies in the UAE and beyond. 

By combining rigorous scholarship with generous hospitality—talks, workshops, research labs and mentorship modules—RAi positions voices from Kerala to Kampala at the center of the cultural narrative. As a result, the startup injects fresh dialogue into a region racing to define its post‑oil identity.

TFS: Good afternoon, Shafeena. Thank you for joining us today It’s a pleasure to speak with you about your inspiring journey as the Founder of Rizq Art Initiative (RAi).

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Good afternoon! I’m delighted to share our startup story and the larger vision behind Rizq Art Initiative (RAi).

TFS: What inspired you to establish Rizq Art Initiative and how did your personal journey shape that vision?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Rizq Art Initiative was born from a longing—for depth, visibility, and conversation. I wanted to create a space where artists from the majority world were not exceptions on a global stage, but central to the narrative. My journey—as a mother, curator, and researcher—has always been about weaving things together. RAi is a continuation of that: a place where rigor meets generosity, where stories travel across borders and return transformed.

TFS: Rizq Art programs emphasize the “Global South.” What motivated you to spotlight artists from this region and why is it important?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We prefer the term “majority world”—because it repositions rather than redefines. The artists we work with are often engaged in similar inquiries, even if they are rooted in vastly different contexts. I wanted to create a platform that could hold that complexity: where Kerala and Kampala could be in conversation; where art from these regions is shown not through a lens of marginality, but through one of excellence, insight, and power.

TFS: Your debut exhibition, “In the Dusky Path of a Dream,” featured 27 Indian artists at Abu Dhabi Art Fair. Can you share a defining moment or insight from that landmark event?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: There was a moment—watching visitors pause before a work, visibly moved, leaning in to read, to think, to feel—that crystallized everything. It reminded me that the work speaks when it’s given space. That show was about asserting presence—not just for the artists, but for the textures and histories they carried with them.

TFS: How did the concept of memory and identity evolve within that first exhibition and what resonance did you hope it would create?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Memory and identity aren’t fixed—they’re sedimentary, layered. That first show attempted to unravel the “dream-state” of belonging and displacement. The works held nostalgia, yes, but also critique, imagination, abstraction. I hoped viewers would see themselves in the in-betweenness, and in doing so, question the boundaries of nation, culture, and self.

TFS: Rizq Art hosts a residency for emerging artists and curators aged 25–40. Could you walk us through the selection criteria and your goals for the program?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We look for practices that are thoughtful, rigorous, and generous. Artists and curators who are curious—not just about their own work, but about the world. Our goal is to create a space of shared learning, experimentation, and cultural exchange. The residency is less about output and more about momentum—intellectual, creative, emotional.

TFS: With initiatives spanning digital, traditional, new media, moving image and photography, how do you balance such diverse artistic disciplines?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We’re not trying to force coherence where it doesn’t belong. Instead, we embrace the porousness of media. It’s about context—what form does an idea demand? We don’t curate by medium—we curate by energy, by voice, by urgency. That’s what creates resonance across disciplines.

TFS: Collaboration is central to Rizq Art’s approach—like working with NYU Research Kitchens. What do you seek in partners and how do these collaborations enrich your vision?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We look for partners who are open—open to questioning, to reimagining, to thinking across fields. The NYU collaboration emerged from a shared desire to explore new research methodologies in art. These partnerships allow us to stretch beyond the exhibition format, into knowledge production, cross-discipline dialogue, and long-term inquiry.

TFS: Your exhibitions, such as “Gathering Wood, Gathering Words” and “The Fragile Birth of Fire,” explore evocative themes. How do you select and develop exhibition themes?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Themes often emerge from a tension—something unresolved in the world, or in ourselves. They begin as questions, never answers. We sit with the material, the mood, the political moment. Sometimes a single phrase, a poem, or an image becomes a spark. From there, we weave.

TFS: What role does curation play in shaping emotional and intellectual dialogue within the gallery space?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Curation is architecture—it builds the conditions for intimacy, confrontation, clarity. A well-curated space doesn’t just show work—it stages a conversation between pieces, between histories, between viewers. It’s about pacing, about permission, about invitation. We want the viewer to linger, to return, to carry something out with them.

TFS: Rizq Art emphasizes experimental digital installations and avant‑garde performances. How do you support artists experimenting at the cutting edge?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We offer the infrastructure and the encouragement. That means space, technology, and trust. But more importantly, it means taking risk seriously—not as spectacle, but as inquiry. We let artists stretch beyond what’s comfortable. We’re here to hold space for process, for failure, for magic.

TFS: Could you describe a standout moment or challenge in mounting an ambitious exhibition in Abu Dhabi?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Navigating the logistics of scale, customs, timelines—those are expected. But the real challenge is always curatorial: how to retain the integrity of a vision while adapting to a new environment. A standout moment was during our show at Abu Dhabi Art—when artists from the UAE and India met, conversed, and saw their work reflected in each other. That exchange felt deeply necessary.

TFS: Your website describes Rizq as a “catalyst” for trans‑disciplinary dialogue. Can you share a memorable example of this in practice?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: One of the most fulfilling aspects of RAi’s work is when an exhibition sparks conversations that move beyond the boundaries of art itself—when an architect, a writer, or a scientist sees something of their own language reflected in a painting or a performance.

During one of our earlier shows, we hosted a small closed-door gathering with an art educator, a curator, and a writer—none of whom had met before. What was meant to be a casual walkthrough turned into a long, spontaneous discussion about the visual language of cities, migration, and collective memory. That moment—intimate, unscripted—reminded me of why we do this.

To be a catalyst, for us, means creating the kind of space where these intersections happen naturally. Not as spectacle, but as shared inquiry.

TFS: Rizq Art is working to secure private and corporate sponsorships. What challenges and opportunities have you encountered in building that support?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: The challenge is often perception—art is still seen as an accessory, not a necessity. But the opportunity lies in alignment. When a partner truly understands that art is cultural capital, that supporting artists is supporting innovation, the collaboration becomes powerful. We’re building relationships with people who see art as investment—not just financially, but civically, intellectually.

TFS: How do you envision Rizq Art’s impact on the UAE’s cultural ecosystem in the next five to ten years?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We want to be a gravitational point—for artists, researchers, curators, institutions. A space known not just for exhibitions, but for dialogue, experimentation, and care. We see ourselves becoming a hub of cultural intelligence, rooted in the region, connected to the world.

TFS: Beyond exhibitions and residencies, what new initiatives or programs do you envision for Rizq Art moving forward?

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: We’re exploring more interdisciplinary labs, mentorship modules, and deeper regional exchanges. We want to keep expanding what a gallery can be—into a space of research, of provocation, of cultural memory.

TFS: Shafeena, thank you for sharing your time, vision and insights with us. Your journey as a founder is truly inspiring and your story demonstrates how entrepreneurial vision can transform cultural landscapes.

Shafeena Yusuff Ali: Thank you. Our startup’s journey is only beginning, and every dialogue propels the mission forward. I appreciate the chance to share our narrative and invite readers to visit RAi, experience the art, and join the conversation.