Across restaurants and hospitality venues, art is taking on a more meaningful role. No longer treated simply as a finishing touch, it is increasingly being woven into the architecture, atmosphere and guest journey, helping spaces communicate their identity and tell stories through individual works, materials and artistic details.

This approach can be seen across DBM Studio’s work at Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi and Khadak in Dubai. While the two venues draw on entirely different narratives, art plays an important role in bringing each one to life, from sculptural installations and hand-embroidered works to murals and contemporary interpretations of traditional art forms.

For Mahsa Gholizadeh, Founder and Creative Director of DBM Studio, art is considered from the earliest stages of a project rather than introduced once an interior is complete. Individual pieces are developed in conversation with the architecture, lighting, materials and furnishings, allowing them to become part of how the story of a space unfolds.

At Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi, that story centres around Isabel, the fictional character at the heart of the concept. The art and interiors give physical expression to the different sides of her personality – bold yet feminine, dramatic yet delicate, confident yet mysterious – through floral forms, texture, material, light and scale. As guests move through the venue, these elements gradually reveal different chapters of her character.

At the centre of the dining room is a bespoke brass flower sculpture designed by DBM Studio. Its sweeping metallic form appears to open across the room, creating a sense of movement and theatre, while its reflective finish responds to the surrounding light and connects with the brass detailing, glass elements and furnishings throughout the space. Rather than existing as a standalone artwork, the sculpture forms part of the wider visual language used to express Isabel’s character.

The story continues through hand-embroidered three-dimensional artworks, handcrafted silk wall panels and oversized fresh floral installations. Permanent artworks sit alongside living floral elements, introducing different layers of colour, softness and texture throughout the restaurant. Above the bar, a sculptural brass-and-glass canopy shifts in character from day to night, bringing together references to the original London restaurant with the energy and scale of its Abu Dhabi setting.

The artistic language also extends beyond the main dining room. In the bathrooms, hand-painted gold-leaf wallpaper, embroidery, expressive floral patterns and marble continue the narrative, ensuring that art is experienced throughout the venue rather than concentrated around a single statement piece.

At Khadak in Dubai, art takes on a different role, drawing inspiration from the people, culture and everyday life of Mumbai’s Khadak Street. Here, the artistic elements are used to introduce guests to the characters and stories behind the concept, giving a voice to the community that inspired the restaurant.

The experience begins in the entrance corridor, where hand-painted murals extend across the walls and ceiling, bringing the characters of Khadak Street into the space from the moment guests arrive. Throughout the restaurant, a series of fusion miniatures combines traditional Indian miniature painting with contemporary pop art, with each piece telling the story of a different character. Weathered murals continue into the garden, creating a sense of history while connecting the restaurant back to the place and community behind its story.

One of Khadak’s most distinctive artistic features is the Bell Wall, an installation formed from 800 restaurant and hotel bells arranged to spell the word “Voice” in Sanskrit. Developed as a tribute to the spirit of Khadak Street, the installation reflects one of the central ideas behind the venue: creating a space where the stories and voices of its people are present throughout the design.

While Isabel Mayfair Abu Dhabi uses art to reveal the different sides of a fictional character, Khadak uses it to bring the characters, culture and community of a real place into the restaurant. In both, art goes beyond decoration. It carries meaning, gives physical form to the story behind the space and creates another way for guests to understand and connect with the world they are stepping into.