London-based JD Malat Gallery will open its first Middle East location in downtown Dubai in January 2025. The new 1,700-square-foot space will be situated in Dubai’s downtown Opera District, where it hopes to foster a dialogue with emerging talent from the region and local collectors.
The Dubai branch will be strategically located on a bustling boulevard near the Burj Khalifa—an area that is increasingly recognized as a fast-growing arts hub. The city, the largest in the United Arab Emirates, has been experiencing a post-pandemic inhabitant surge, adding over 180,000 new residents since 2022. Dubai’s art scene has also been expanding. Recent additions include NIKA Project Space, founded by collector Veronika Berezina in 2023, and Efiɛ Gallery, established by the Mintah family in 2021. Other international galleries set their sights on Dubai as long as a decade ago, including New York City stalwart Leila Heller Gallery, which has operated in the city since 2015.
“The vision for our gallery resonates deeply with the growing appetite for international contemporary art among collectors in the Middle East,” founder Jean-David Malat said. “It is a privilege to see the work of the artists we represent exhibited in such a culturally diverse context. JD Malat Gallery Dubai gives us an additional space to build on those careers, as well as nurture new ones.”
JD Malat Gallery plans to immediately engage with local and public art institutions and projects across the city. According to its press release, “Being centrally located in downtown Dubai supports the gallery’s ethos of engaging beyond the gallery space to promote artistic progression and cultural interaction.”
Malat trained at Sotheby’s, though, he told British GQ, “I don’t think the Sotheby’s course was worth it. I learned more from experience. For me, success came from connecting with people and going to auctions and exhibitions rather than through academia.” Relying on his hands-on experience, Malat opened his eponymous gallery in 2018 in the heart of Mayfair. Today, the gallerist represents more than 20 international artists, including Icelandic painter Katrin Fridriks, Swiss artist Conrad Jon Godly, and American artist Ed Moses. He is also known for dealing art to an impressive roster of A-list celebrities, including Madonna and Kate Moss.
