DUBAI: Saudi artist Dana Awartani is part of the inaugural "TIME100 Art: The Most Influential People in Art of 2026" list, nabbing a spot among artists, art collectors and industry leaders from around the world.
Awartani is joined on the list by the likes of Banksy, KAWS and Tracey Emin.
Her write-up on Time’s website was penned by journalist Sarah Cascone, who asked: “Can art offer a blueprint for healing? That’s the argument Dana Awartani, 39, makes in her work.
“The Saudi Arabian artist creates immersive installations of silk panels by ripping and ‘darning’ (or repairing) the fabric. She also works with experts in ancient craft traditions to build installations that double as memorials to places destroyed by conflict.”
"I am honored to be amongst the inaugural TIME 100 Art 2026 list @time of people shaping the future of art - and our world,” Awartani said Thursday on Instagram.
The list also includes creatives, museum directors and curators, art lawyers, dealers, and other professionals from the art world.
Among those featured are American painter Amy Sherald, whose work explores Black identity and representation, and photographer Tyler Mitchell, who photographed Sherald for the TIME cover. The list also includes British street artist Banksy, French artist JR and American artist KAWS, alongside contemporary figures including Refik Anadol, Simone Leigh and El Anatsui.
Beyond artists, the list highlights the wider ecosystem supporting the arts, with collectors Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, art dealer David Zwirner and museum director Max Hollein among those recognized.
"Over recent months, led by Merrill Fabry, we have been seeking out the leaders who shape art, with an eye to find those who are writing the field’s most important headlines,” editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs wrote in an accompanying article.
