Last updated: 27 October 2026
Ruba Nadar is the London painter whose collages of fabric, sports imagery and Egyptian cinema stills look at tenderness, sport and Arab identity. Here you will find our take on the work, the first solo show at Pipeline, and how to buy it.
Our take on Ruba Nadar
Nadar was born in London in 1998 to Lebanese and Egyptian parents, studied art history at Barnard College in New York, then painting at the Royal College of Art. The RCA described the practice as “guided by questions of tenderness, eroticism, and Arab-ness”.
“My work and studio function as spaces of collection and reassembly,” Nadar says in Pipeline’s press release, “where figures and roles shaped by images are reconsidered through gesture, memory, and cinematic reinterpretation.”
The first solo show, I Saw Myself Playing on The National Team, ran at Pipeline in 2026. Its works were listed as available, with prices on request.
Ruba Nadar: the essentials
- Born in London in 1998; lives and works in London.
- BA Art History, Barnard College, Columbia University, 2021; MA Painting, Royal College of Art, 2024.
- Works in oil, oil stick, fabric, velvet, silk and photo collage on canvas.
- Group shows include Guts Gallery and Fitzrovia Gallery in London (2024).
Ruba Nadar exhibitions
- I Saw Myself Playing on The National Team, first solo show, curated by Andrew Price, Pipeline, 31 Windmill Street, London, 16 April to 23 May 2026.
- Group shows in 2024 at Limbo Gallery, Margate, and Terrace Gallery, Studio/Chapple, Safehouse, Guts Gallery and Fitzrovia Gallery, London.
- No new show has been announced.
Our reviews featuring Ruba Nadar
- Ruba Nadar at Pipeline review: our take on the 2026 debut solo show.
Ruba Nadar FAQs
Where did Ruba Nadar study?
Barnard College, Columbia University (BA Art History, 2021) and the Royal College of Art (MA Painting, 2024).
What was Ruba Nadar’s first solo show?
I Saw Myself Playing on The National Team, at Pipeline, London, from 16 April to 23 May 2026.
Can I buy a Ruba Nadar work?
The works from the Pipeline show were listed as available, by enquiry. Prices are not published.
What materials does Ruba Nadar use?
Oil, oil stick, fabric off-cuts, velvet, silk, staples and printed photographs on canvas.
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Main image: Ruba Nadar, Rough and Dry, 2026. Image courtesy Pipeline, London. Framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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