Honored the Arabian Gulf's pearl diving heritage, symbolizing the red cloth used to preserve harvested pearls and the care given by divers.

Tbaba was a tribute to the traditional pearl diving heritage of the Arabian Gulf, embodying the essence of the red cloth historically used to preserve freshly harvested pearls. This installation honored the ancient practices that shaped the region's maritime culture, symbolizing the meticulous care given to pearls collected by divers.

About the Designers:

Gerald Jason Cruz and Roudhah Al Mazrouei, graduates of New York University Abu Dhabi, began collaborating in 2021. Together they have won the Abu Dhabi Art Pavilion Prize for Impermanence, exhibited at Abu Dhabi Art in 2021 and the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award for their sculpture Urban Fabric in 2022.

Cruz, a Filipino architectural designer, earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with a minor in Design from NYU Abu Dhabi in 2024 and has contributed to projects in Abu Dhabi, New York, Münster, Singapore, and Mumbai.

Al Mazrouei, an Abu Dhabi-based visual artist, explores cultural memory, ecological symbiosis, and archival preservation through oil painting, public art, film, and photography. She holds a BA in Art & Art History from NYU Abu Dhabi and is pursuing her MFA at the Royal College of Art.