bahrainthismonth.com | NOVEMBER 2026 LUXURY 59 Shaikh Rashid’s wide-ranging eye as a collector. Among the internationally recognised names represented are Damien Hirst, Fernando Botero, Frank Stella, Bridget Riley, Yves Klein, Pierre Soulages, Marc Quinn and Heinz Mack, alongside artists from across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The collection also features important regional artists. This international perspective sits comfortably alongside the Foundation’s commitment to Bahrain’s own artistic heritage. Its collection includes leading Bahraini artists such as Balqees Fakhro, Ebrahim Busaad, Faisal Samra and Adnan Al Ahmed, creating an engaging dialogue between Bahrain’s contemporary art movement and the wider international art world. Yet perhaps what makes a visit so distinctive is that the art is not isolated behind the walls of a conventional gallery. It unfolds within an intimate setting filled with personal memories. Shaikh Rashid’s childhood bedroom has become an office and library, while a painting he created directly on a wall at the age of 14 remains preserved in the house. At the heart of the courtyard, a contemporary ornamental cube houses his personal studio. Every detail adds another layer to the experience. A wider purpose The Foundation’s vision extends beyond collecting. As a non-profit organisation, it empowers artists worldwide, creates opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration, encourages international partnerships and provides a platform for critical discourse and social dialogue. Its RAK Art Foundation Prize, presented at ASIA NOW in Paris, further reflects this international outlook, connecting contemporary artists with Bahraini craft traditions through residencies and collaborations with master artisans in Bahrain. In many ways, this is where the RAK Art Foundation finds its place within the modern definition of luxury. Today, luxury is increasingly about authenticity rather than excess, provenance rather than price and access to experiences that offer genuine cultural depth. A private art collection housed within a historic family home, where heritage, architecture and contemporary creativity converge, is perhaps the ultimate expression of this new luxury. The RAK Art Foundation invites visitors to slow down, look closer and appreciate the stories behind the art and, in doing so, to discover another side of Bahrain. It is a place where the past has been carefully preserved, the present is celebrated through art and the future is imagined through creativity. Because sometimes, the greatest luxury is simply being invited inside.
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