World Art Dubai 2025 (WAD) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) welcomed its penultimate day with a first-time showing of a controversial UK graffiti master and a visit from one of the world’s youngest artists.
The 11th edition of WAD continues until today at the (DWTC), bringing together more than 400 artists, over 120 galleries, and more than 10,000 original artworks from over 65 countries.
Alongside the thousands of pieces on display are what are said to be the first original Banksy works to go on public exhibition in Dubai. Wonderwall Fine Arts, exhibiting in partnership with Qube Art Gallery, brought two of Banksy’s street art pieces ‘Toxic Fuel’ and ‘Running Coppers’ to show exclusively at WAD this year, along with certificates of authenticity from an art dealer specialising in the anonymous street artist. Previous Banksy exhibitions in the emirate have promoted themselves as using digital or recreated pieces.
Unlike most canvases at the fair, which caps prices for art at $20,000, the Banksy works are not for sale. Kimberley McMahon, chief executive of Wonderwall Fine Arts, explains: “We spot Banksy artworks in the UK, collect and restore them, and then ship them to our private collection based in Al Quoz, Dubai. There are two pieces we rescued from the Gaza Strip 14 years ago, which we haven’t released to the public eye yet.”
When asked about buyer interest, McMahon responded: “None of the original artworks are for sale – Banksy is priceless. We’re launching our print business at the end of May, where limited edition prints will be available for purchase.”
Although the signature multi-layered stencilled pieces can’t be bought, buyers visiting the 2025 show are generally showing strong interest in purchasing, with many returning from previous years and new collectors attending too.
Indian multidisciplinary artist Mahesh Sharma, whose 3D portrait of the Dubai Royal Family was purchased by a VVIP buyer, said: “I’ve been to World Art Dubai before and came back because of my sheer passion for art. The piece I sold represents three unwavering generations in Dubai – Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This year’s inspiration for my collection specifically focuses on Dubai’s culture. I did a whole year of research in the UAE, looking into how collectors think and the styles they prefer, so I changed my style to embody this. Dubai is a multicultural city, so naturally, one must make multicultural art!”
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