Meet the art show that looks like it was made by a very patient (and slightly obsessive) mathematician – except it’s actually made by an Emirati engineer with serious creative chops. The exhibition CubixArt by Khalfan Almarashda is popping up on the third floor of ME by Meliá Dubai, and yes – that means pictures made entirely from solved Rubik’s Cubes. Think portraiture meets pixel art, but each pixel is a little 28mm cube that somebody carefully twisted into place.
The concept: pixels that click
CubixArt is basically high-resolution storytelling made tactile. Instead of pixels on a screen, imagine thousands of glossy 28mm cubes arranged to behave like individual colour notes; zoom in and you see the tiny components, zoom out and whole personalities resolve. There’s a delicious tension between structure and surprise – the cubes force discipline (you can’t fudge a colour), but that discipline produces moments of pure visual poetry when an eye, a flag, or a pattern snaps into recognition. It’s part puzzle, part mural, and completely theatrical: the closer you get, the more you appreciate the craft; the farther you stand, the more the image reveals itself like a slow magic trick.
What you’ll actually see
Expect variety with a wink: portraits of historical and national figures that carry gravitas, geometric pieces that echo Arabic and Islamic architectural motifs, action-shot tributes to sports stars, and a cheeky handful of pop-culture cameos – from beloved Emirati favourites like Freej to global icons like Mario. Each work plays a different game with scale and tone: some are somber and monumental, others playful and small-smiled. What ties them together is the grid logic – everything reads through repetition and rhythm – which turns the show into a kind of visual playlist that moves between nostalgia, national pride, and outright fun.
Why the Rubik’s cube?
Because the cube is brilliantly stubborn. It gives the artist fixed conditions – fixed faces, fixed sizes, fixed reflectivity – and within those constraints, enormous creativity blooms. The glossy surfaces catch light differently across an installation, so a piece changes subtly throughout the day; a cheekbone can look softer in morning light, sharper under gallery lamps. There’s also something poetic about turning a toy into a language of memory and identity: each solved cube is a micro-decision that, when multiplied, becomes a macro narrative. The cube’s limitations are the engine of the art’s expressiveness.
About the artist
The project folds into a broader practice – CubixArt – that Khalfan founded to explore mosaic portraiture with an engineered twist. His background in engineering shows up in the planning: colour maps, precise counting, and a workflow that’s almost algorithmic. But there’s craft too – hand-placing cubes, checking alignments, and making on-the-spot adjustments so that the final face reads as human rather than mechanical. Khalfan’s work has been shown across the UAE and picked up recognition on notable stages, which helps explain why this hotel solo show feels like a quiet, well-earned moment rather than a flash in the pan.
The setting: where art meets architecture
ME by Meliá’s interiors are a performer’s dream: dramatic angles, generous sightlines, and design that doesn’t shy away from personality. The hotel’s theatrical bones amplify CubixArt’s strict geometry – the soft curves of the lobby and the hard grid of the cubes play off each other so well that the space becomes part of the conversation. Placement on the third floor gives visitors a moment of discovery (you don’t accidentally stumble into it; you make a choice to go), which in turn makes viewing feel deliberate and ceremonial. It’s one of those rare pairings where venue and artwork boost each other instead of competing for attention.
Why you should pop by
Because it’s clever, photogenic, and genuinely rewarding to look at. It’s social-media-bait (those cube close-ups are irresistible) but also made for slow looking: notice the light on the glossy cube faces, the tiny imperfections that make a face feel human, and the way a flat grid turns into personality. Whether you’re into design, engineering, nostalgia, or just want an unusual selfie backdrop – this show delivers.
Practical bits
The exhibition runs from 15 February to 7 March 2026 on the hotel’s third floor. There was an opening reception on 15 February; check the hotel or artist’s channels for any last-minute talks or pop-ups if you want the full in-person vibe.
Walk slowly, look closely, and let your brain do the satisfying work of reassembling the portraits – piece by pleasing piece. Want help with a short Instagram caption, a set of hashtags, or a cheeky one-liner for your photo op? All options ready. Which one would you like?
Contact & Location
Phone: 04 525 2500
