Riyad kishi

Short Biography

Riyad studied architecture at Ajman University, graduating in 2015, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Urban Design and Planning at the same institution. He has worked across professional architecture and interior design in the UAE since 2016, with a period focused on heritage-conscious architectural work in Sharjah’s historic urban context. Since 2022, he has operated as an independent artist, architect, and concept designer, and since 2023 has served as an architecture instructor and adjunct faculty member at Ajman University. His art practice has developed alongside his architectural career, with themes of resilience, memory, conflict, identity, and renewal running consistently through his visual work. He holds the UAE Golden Visa under the Architect category. In 2026, he is performing ‘When Music Becomes Visible’, a two-hand live art performance, at World Art Dubai at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 22 November 2026, in collaboration with DiarBid Arthouse.

Education

Riyad holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Ajman University, UAE (2015) and is currently completing a Master of Urban Design and Planning at Ajman University.

Exhibitions

Riyad has presented work across the UAE, including in Dubai, Ajman, and Sharjah, as well as in Saudi Arabia and Bali, Indonesia. He has reported digital artwork appearances connected with NFT-related events in New York and Paris. He is confirmed to perform at World Art Dubai 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 22 November 2026.

Awards

Riyad was a finalist in the Magnum Opus International Design Competition in 2025 for ‘House of Staff’, an architectural hospitality and healing-resort proposal for Costa Rica. He received third place in The Prayer Place Mosque Design Competition in 2016 for a contemporary sacred architecture proposal. He was granted the UAE Golden Visa in 2021 under the Architect category, and achieved a top-ten placement in a digital art platform ranking in 2025.

Artistic Style

Riyad’s signature technique of drawing simultaneously with both hands is inseparable from his philosophy: he does not draw to music but makes music visible. In performance, both hands respond to musical rhythm in real time, rapidly accumulating lines that reveal faces, emotions, and forms before a live audience. The completed work carries the provenance of a specific live moment, connecting visual art, performance, and collector engagement. His architectural training gives his practice a particular sensitivity to structure, proportion, and visual rhythm, and his work consistently addresses the human condition through themes of resilience, memory, vulnerability, and renewal. Selected works include ‘Rise’, ‘Heart Renewal’, ‘Mass Media’, ‘The Whispers’, and ‘The Box’, each building a layered psychological or social narrative from expressive line.

Additional Information

Riyad has participated in international architecture competitions, with notable projects including ‘House of Staff’ in Costa Rica (Magnum Opus finalist), ‘The Rift’ in Yakushima, Japan, and the RAHMA Sanctuary conceptual masterplan in Ajman. He teaches drawing, visual communication, and studio instruction at Ajman University. His practice spans original works on paper, digital art, NFT editions, live performance pieces, and art integrated into architectural environments.