Fixations is a series of conversations and profiles that offers artists a platform to muse upon their current preoccupations. Here Stephanie Sykes talk to Dubai-based artist Ubik about how the fluctuating nature of his residency visa informs his practice.

Aya Atoui is a Dubai based artist whose work is rooted in the ephemeral and often references her mother or is otherwise inspired by her. For An Art Blog’s Fixations, Atoui has interviewed her mother.

Amir H. Fallah is an artist and founder of Beautiful/Decay magazine. His practice — marked by its bold, ardent palette — ranges from handmade fort installations to mixed-media collages and large-scale paintings that maintain his affinity for collage.