DUBAI

During her 18-year stint as a curator and gallery owner in Dubai, Mona Hauser has experienced some surprising encounters. One notable incident involved an exhibition by an Iranian artist, which featured abstract female forms.

“We were wary of hanging nudes on the wall,” explains the elegantly dressed American, as we sip coffee in the courtyard of XVA, her boutique hotel, shop and exhibition space. “So, I decided to install them in a separate area with a caution sign.”

Despite Mona’s best intentions, however, an early visitor arrived before any warnings had been put in place. After taking a swift look at the explicit artwork, the woman, “who was very much covered up” demanded to speak to the artist.

“She walked straight up to her and didn’t say hello or anything,” recalls Mona. “But just demanded: ‘Will you paint my portrait?’”

Freedom of expression isn’t a principle you’d expect to find easily exercised in a country associated with strict Sharia laws. But attitudes in the UAE’s most progressive Emirate are