Nilufar at NOMAD Abu Dhabi 2025 journeyed through design, material and memory

Nilufar gallery marked its debut at the inaugural NOMAD Abu Dhabi 2025 with a 200 sqm presentation curated by its founder, Nina Yashar. The showcase, on view from November 19 – 22, 2025, at the decommissioned Terminal 1, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, UAE, extended her distinctive curatorial language—an ongoing dialogue between historical references and contemporary experimentation—translated here into a digital-first narrative of materiality, memory and design innovation.

"I'm truly excited to be part of NOMAD Abu Dhabi for the first time,
mentions Yashar in the press release shared by Nilufar. "I've supported NOMAD since its earliest editions, dating back to 2018 in Monaco, and it's a pleasure to bring Nilufar to a new territory… one of our first activations in the region."

For this edition of NOMAD, a travelling showcase for collectible design, cultural dialogue and contemporary art and design, Yashar assembled a constellation of vintage and contemporary design voices that spoke to the region's cultural and aesthetic rhythms. "The curatorial selection for this debut was made with intention," she notes. "I chose to present artists and designers whose practices resonate with the cultural and aesthetic fabric of this region, voices I believe can spark meaningful dialogue and inspire new perspectives."

The presentation unfolded as a series of interconnected design vignettes, each exploring craftsmanship through a modern lens. Osanna Visconti’s poetic, nature-cast bronze furniture and lighting conversed with Christian Pellizzari’s luminous and colourful Murano glass works, while Allegra Hicks introduced crochet-inspired sculptural pieces that celebrate tactility and textile memory in the design exhibition.

Organic, atmospheric light sculptures by Maximilian Marchesani complemented architectural tables and sculptural seating by Gal Gaon. Odd Matter explored boundaries of material innovation through side tables made from experimental synthetic compounds that evoke both earthly and otherworldly origins, according to the Milan-based gallery.

StudioDanielK presented two complementary bodies of work: jewellery-inflected product designs adorned with brass and semi-precious stones, and a sculptural sofa design and armchair echoing Brazilian modernism and Art Deco. In parallel, Etereo reinterpreted the notion of solidity through innovative carbon and marble compositions, while a cast-bronze and fused-glass dining table from the Faraglioni Collection introduced fluidity reminiscent of shifting sea waves.

The showcase's narrative expanded through Shlomo Harush’s contemplative metal pieces as well as an expressive bar cabinet crafted from wood, marble and leather by Claude Missir. A historical anchor emerged in Gio Ponti’s Armchair Mod. 807 Distex, a modernist, timeless icon that grounded the design installation's 'exploration of memory, craftsmanship and cultural continuity'. Nearby, Jeorge Zalszupin’s refined Brazilian pieces connected eras with elegance.

Nilufar's debut at NOMAD Abu Dhabi 2025 resulted in "a compelling meditation on how design preserves memory while projecting new futures—a space where history, craftsmanship, and innovation meet", the gallery notes.