The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) at Zayed University, presents:
Behold, by guest artist Dean Golja, at the CACE promenade gallery on the Abu Dhabi Campus.
The exhibition will be displayed from 12th – 25th February 2025.
The artist will also give an online lecture on 19th February 2025. 11.30am- 12.30 pm

Dean Golja is an Australian artist, educator and commercial photographer whose current research explores light, perception and the way images shape our experience of the world. He holds a Master of Electronic Arts from the Australian National University and is completing a PhD at Deakin University, Melbourne.

Renowned for his consistent presence in prestigious awards, exhibitions and collaborative projects, Dean’s work spans solo and group shows both nationally and internationally. He is also the founder of Image United, an enterprise that pioneers innovative campaigns for government and non-profit organisations.

Dean’s multifaceted career reflects his commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative expression while fostering the next generation of artists. His work continues to earn recognition, shaping the field of contemporary photography while inspiring new audiences and participants to engage with art.

Behold explores the evolving boundaries of photographic perception, bringing together works that investigate the interplay between light, reality and the unseen.

Ascension & Descend is a metaphysical travelogue that uses the stairway as a motif, framing ordinary structures as metaphors for passage and transcendence. Inland reveals the mysterious air of overlooked places in regional Australian landscapes, where the unnoticed pulses beneath the surface of the everyday. Pseudonym reimagines the invisible lives of those on society’s periphery, while Sleep meditates on the threshold between waking and dreaming.

Each series reflects a deliberate exploration of photography’s ability to reveal what lies beyond the surface. Together, these works highlight photography’s role as both an artistic and investigatory tool, capable of engaging with realities that elude immediate perception.

This exhibition is not merely a study of photography as a medium but a reflection on its deeper potential to probe questions and relationship between observer and observed. Behold invites viewers to engage with photography as a process of discovery, where each image offers not just a record but a point of entry into the experience of a complex interplay of light, image and vision.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to visit.

Organizers:
Dr. Ioannis Papavasileiou
Ms. Wadha Adnan
Ms. Ameera Alblooshi
Ms. Sara Alafeefi
Ms. Mathail Abdulla