Buying Original Art Directly From an Artist in Dubai: Prices, Certificates, Returns and Delivery

There are three routes: a gallery, an online marketplace, or the artist herself. All three can lead to a good painting; what changes is the price structure, the paperwork and who you talk to.

The main way to buy my paintings today is directly from the studio, which is why my full terms are on the buy original art in Dubai page.

• Gallery. You see the work in person and the gallery handles payment and delivery. Its costs are built into the price, and the artist is rarely part of the conversation.
• Online marketplace. Wide choice and easy filtering, but the platform takes a share of the sale and questions go through a messaging system.
• Directly from the artist. You deal with the person who painted the work and nothing sits between the price and the studio. You do rely on the artist to be organised about invoices, certificates, packing and returns, so ask about these up front.

The honest answer to “how much does an original painting cost in Dubai” is that it depends on size, materials and the work in the surface, so here are real numbers: the current prices in my gallery, in US dollars.

If you are looking for affordable original art in Dubai, the first band is where to start: finished, signed and varnished paintings, several already framed. Above the top band, large works are usually commissions; Waves, a 300 × 100 cm landscape (sold), was $2,000. Commissions start at about $600 (roughly AED 2,200) for a piece around 40 × 50 cm, with a 50% deposit and a lead time of two to four weeks.

• Under $250: small canvases and works on paper. Face, a 22 × 27 cm mixed media piece, is $120. The Zebra, from my animals collection, 22 × 27 cm acrylic on canvas and framed, is $150. Vanilla Sky, a framed 20 × 30 cm mixed media canvas, and Neon Rhythm, a 30 × 40 cm acrylic and enamel drip painting, are $200 each. Mixosso N1, a framed 42 × 30 cm mixed media work on paper, is $240.
• $250 to $600: 40 × 60 and 50 × 60 cm. Abstract N21, 50 × 60 cm acrylic on canvas, framed, is $450. Interlacement, 40 × 60 cm in acrylic, gesso and ink, framed, is $480.
• $900 to $1,800: 60 × 80 up to 80 × 80 cm. Feel the Joy, the framed 60 × 80 cm painting at the top of this page, is $950. Freedom is Gold, 60 × 90 cm, framed, is $1,200. Arabian Beauty, 80 × 80 cm on a 4 cm deep canvas in acrylic and plaster, is $1,800.

Three things are sold as “paintings” online: an original, a print (often a giclée on canvas) and a hand-embellished print, a print with a few strokes of gel or paint added for texture. The price difference is large, and so is what you own.

Every piece in my abstract gallery is a one-off; there are no print editions of my work. The layered surface of acrylic, inks, pastels and pressed-in fabric cannot be reproduced, and I explain how it is built in how my textured mixed media paintings are made.

• Look at the surface in raking light. Hold a phone torch almost parallel to the canvas: an original shows ridges, brush direction and the odd imperfection, a print is flat, and a hand-embellished print has texture only in patches that do not follow the image.
• Check the edges. Hand-painted canvases have worked edges. A printed canvas usually has a mirrored or stretched copy of the image on the sides.
• Look for a dot pattern. Under a magnifier a print breaks into tiny regular dots; paint does not.
• Ask how many exist. If the answer includes the word “edition”, you are buying a print, and the price should reflect that.

A certificate of authenticity for an original painting is only worth something if it identifies the work precisely. Mine comes with every painting and commission; any artist’s certificate should include:

The signature on the painting matters as much as the certificate. All of my paintings are signed on the front and again on the back, so the work can be identified even if the paper is mislaid. Keep it; you must include it in any return.

• Title, year and medium, for example acrylic and ink on canvas.
• Exact dimensions, including depth, matching the object and the invoice.
• The artist’s full name, a signature and a date of issue.
• A photograph or unique reference, so it cannot be attached to a different work later.
• A statement that the work is an original, hand-made piece and not a reproduction.

Most disappointments with art bought online come from a mismatch between the photo and the object, not from bad faith. These questions close that gap.

• What exactly is the medium? “Mixed media” can mean anything. Mine is usually acrylic, ink, gesso and pastel, sometimes charcoal, conté or plaster, and each listing spells it out.
• How deep is the canvas, and is it ready to hang? A 2 cm stretcher is standard, 4 cm looks heavier, and 0.2 cm means a work on paper that needs a frame.
• Is it framed? Framing changes the look and the delivery size. Vanilla Sky and The Zebra are sold framed; Arabian Beauty is gallery-wrapped and hung without a frame.
• Is it varnished? Varnish protects acrylic and pastel from dust, humidity and light. Mine receive two coats; see caring for acrylic and mixed media paintings in Dubai humidity.
• When was it made, and has it been shown? My about page lists my exhibitions since I joined the Dubai International Art Centre in May 2017, including World Art Dubai in 2021.

Art delivery in Dubai is the easy part when you buy from a local studio. The full terms are on the shipping page; in short:

If a painting arrives damaged, photograph the packaging and the piece straight away and contact me within 48 hours. I arrange a replacement or a full refund, including shipping.

• UAE: 1–3 business days, free on orders over $500. In Dubai I can hand-deliver, or you can collect from the studio by arrangement.
• GCC: 3–7 business days, from $35. Europe: 5–10 business days, from $45. North America and Asia Pacific: 7–14 business days, from $55.
• Every shipment is insured and tracked, wrapped in acid-free glassine and foam, in reinforced art boxes for smaller works and custom wooden crates for larger ones.

A painting can look perfect in a photo and wrong on your wall, so every original from my gallery has a 30-day return window from delivery. The full policy is short; these are the terms that matter:

• Contact me within 30 days of delivery by email or WhatsApp with your order number.
• The painting must be in original condition, in the original or equivalent packaging, with the Certificate of Authenticity included.
• You ship it back tracked and insured, at your cost unless the work arrived damaged or defective.
• Once it is back and checked, the artwork price is refunded to your original payment method within 5 business days.
• Commissioned pieces are made to order and cannot be returned; the midway progress photo on every commission is your chance to adjust colour or composition.

Paying a person rather than a shop makes some buyers nervous. The fix is a traceable channel, and paperwork before the money moves.

You can reach me by email or WhatsApp through the contact page, and if something in the landscapes or abstract collections has caught your eye, ask for a short daylight video first.

• Pay by card through Stripe at checkout, or by bank transfer. Both leave a record tied to my name and the artwork.
• Get a written order confirmation first, stating title, dimensions, medium, price in USD, delivery cost (or that it is free) and the delivery estimate.
• Expect a receipt that matches the certificate. If title, size or price differ, ask why before the piece ships.
• For commissions, pay in two parts. I take a 50% deposit by Stripe or bank transfer, send a progress photo midway, and the balance is due once you approve the final images, before delivery.