The Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Saadiyat Island has opened an exhibition marking 100 years since the birth of Lebanese-Armenian painter Paul Guiragossian, running until January 17, 2027. The show is part of the foundation's new season, "From a Shared Ground," which brings together three exhibitions and five artists. Alongside Guiragossian, the programme features fellow modern Lebanese figures Etel Adnan and Helen Khal. Dr Michaela Watrelot, the foundation's head curator, said the centenary exhibition "brings art-historical scholarship into dialogue with a deeply personal perspective," reflecting both scholarly research into Guiragossian's career and the artist's own biography. Manuella Guiragossian, the painter's daughter, attended the opening and spoke about the foundation's efforts to preserve her father's legacy for new audiences in the Gulf. Bassam Said Freiha, founder of the foundation, said the goal behind the exhibition series is to connect regional art history with international visitors passing through Abu Dhabi's cultural district. Since launching its education programme in March 2024, the foundation says it has welcomed more than 2,000 visitors to free workshops and lectures, and reached over 170 students through school partnerships. The exhibition sits within Saadiyat Cultural District, which has grown into one of the region's main hubs for contemporary and modern art, anchored by institutions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi. Guiragossian, born in Jerusalem in 1926 to Armenian parents, settled in Beirut and became one of the most influential painters of 20th-century Lebanese art before his death in 1993. The exhibition is open to the public through mid-January.