Life
This week, spoke to Myrna Ayad, Cultural Strategist and Art Advisor based in the UAE.
Welcome to the Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and business women both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
Based in Dubai, Ayad established her namesake consultancy in 2018, focusing on art advisory, cultural strategy and publishing. Overall, she develops cultural strategies and support brands and organisations to embrace art and culture within their frameworks. This way, brands stand out.
Her expertise sees the many intersections between the worlds of art and luxury. Both forms of creation influence one another and present enduring experiences.
What was your favourite subject at school?
English, Psychology and History.
What was your first job?
At a now-defunct publishing house. I started off editing one weekly student paper, Campus Journal and then launched Campus Journal in Kuwait and then came The Buzz, a Village Voice-type weekly.
What brought you to Dubai?
The invasion of Lebanon in 1982. My maternal grandfather owned some of the UAE’s first hotels, so we came here ‘temporarily’ and here we are, at home.
What inspired you to enter the industry?
Stories. Art and people tell stories.
Talk us through the concept?
I work independently as a cultural strategist and editor with a focus on art and culture from the Arab world and Iran.
What are the key elements of your role?
Telling stories essentially. I advise organisations on what they should do within the cultural sector, and I produce books. That means I develop the concept, conceive an editorial outline, manage everything from imagery and design, to copyediting and contributing writers, and write! My favourite bit is the writing of course.
Talk us through your daily routine.
I have a wonderful office at home where I clock in and out of daily – weekends included. I’m a working mother so my day is punctuated by pick-ups, drop-offs, cooking and running errands. If I’m not seeing friends in the evening, I’ll be watching something riveting on TV with my husband.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
Read. Ask. Listen. Attend exhibitions. Watch films. Listen to your heart and wonder. Make sure you document everything. Absolutely everything.
Tell us more about the work done previously?
Today, my clients include PepsiCo, the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Bulgari, and Pink Tank. I also act as an external advisor to Bain, Pelham Communications, Edelman as well as Riyadh’s Misk Art Institute. I am author of Assouline’s Sheikh Zayed: An Eternal Legacy (2021), a seminal book on the late ruler of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; as well as Dubai Wonder (2021), part of the House’s iconic travel series. I am also author of The National’s monthly series, Remembering the Artist, an intimate portrayal of the lives of pioneering modernists from the region based on exclusive interviews with their relatives, friends or students. I am proud to say that I am recognised as one of the Arab world’s leading cultural commentators.
From 2016–2018, I was Director of Art Dubai, the Arab world, Iran, Turkey and South Asia’s foremost international art fair. During my time there, the fair enjoyed its largest and most globally diverse editions to date and presented a robust non-profit programme. Preceding this, I wrote about art from the Arab world, Iran and Turkey for titles including The New York Times, CNN Online, The Art Newspaper, Artforum, Artsy, Artnet, Wallpaper* and The National, among others, as well as for artist monographs and exhibition catalogues. . Over the years, I have served as a panellist and moderator for entities such as Arab Luxury World (2019), Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (2018), Global Art Forum (2017), the Art Business Conference (2017), Alserkal Avenue (2015), 21,39 Jeddah Arts (2014) and Art Basel (2009) as well as several UAE art galleries.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
It will all be OK.
And what is the worst?
“Ignore it.”
What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?
Age.
What’s your future for the brand?
A countless number of books on art and culture from the Arab world and Iran, and an illustrated children’s series, Noor’s Heroes, that will launch in September.
