A group exhibition at the Ministry of Culture's Abu Dhabi Creative Centre is offering a glimpse into the breadth of Emirati art from the late 20th century onwards.
Through the Years brings together works by 27 Emirati artists from across two generations. It highlights the diversity of practices and styles that make up the fabric of Emirati art, from the haunting still life of Khalil Abdulwahid to the kaleidoscopic cityscapes of Nujoom Al Ghanem; the rust-printed canvases of Mohamed Al Astad to the lofty and twisting ladder-like sculptures of Rawdha Al Ketbi.
The inaugural event of the Abu Dhabi Creative Centre, which has reopened after closing in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was conceived as a way of celebrating the artists that “paved the way for the arts in the UAE,” says Sumayyah Al Suwaidi, who curated the exhibition alongside Walter Willems.
“They started when there was nothing,” Al Suwaidi, who is director of the Cultural and Creative Centres at the Ministry of Culture, tells The National. “Not many people understood their concepts or the way they were thinking. What does it mean that you’re painting? That was the mentality back then. Can you imagine what they had to struggle with, or what they had to go through to reach where they are today, to be recognised the way they are recognised today?”
Including emerging names, such as Shaikha Al Ketbi, Sultan Al Remeithi and Saoud Al Dhaheri, was also essential to show the different trajectories Emirati art has taken as it has rapidly gained momentum over the past two decades.
“The young generation who we have in this exhibition are people who are accomplished in the art community,” Al Suwaidi says. “Their names were part of the official lists of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation and the Department of Culture and Tourism. We didn't just choose any young artist, but those who are active and professional.”
Through the Years takes a unique curatorial approach. Participating artists were free to choose which of their works would represent them in the exhibition, letting a narrative organically develop within the exhibition.
Veteran artist Najat Makki, for instance, who is celebrated for her vibrant mastery of colours and hallucinatory canvases, says she wanted to bring a dose of mirth to the exhibition. Her work at the show is a sprawling canvas that features layered swathes of green, blue and red, dappled with the printed patterns that Makki is known for.
“Each colour has an individual effect to the viewer. Much like if a person greets another with a smile, they impart a positive energy. Colours are the same,” she says. “I wanted to greet audiences here with a sense of joy.”
Jalal Luqman, meanwhile, is known for his multidisciplinary practice, often merging traditional and digital forms of media. His painting at Through the Years, however, leans towards the more traditional side of the spectrum. The work, titled Flower to my Father II, depicts a girl holding a flower and looking at the viewer with a potent expression of mourning.
“The first one was for the children of the martyrs,” Luqman says. “This one is more general, because of the state the world is in now. It isn’t specific to one place or conflict.”
The painting, he says, reflects upon the relationship between a girl and her father. The figure in the painting looks forlornly back at the viewer with a gaze that is frigid in grief and shock. “She has lost the backbone of her life,” Luqman says. “She is disheveled. Her hands are dirty.”
Luqman says he made the painting specifically for Through the Years, saying he wanted to exhibit a painting that “has to hit and has to be memorable".
Other works, meanwhile, tread towards abstraction. In her Reflections of Ether, Camelia Mohebi presents a work that takes inspiration from theories of esoteric cosmology. “It's based on philosophy that there are seven planes of existence,” she says. “This work is based on the sixth plane, where all inspiration and mathematics and sacred geometry lies.”
The painting marks the beginning of a series that Mohebi is working on based on those theories. It was created using disparate materials and with a somewhat untraditional approach.
“I love exploring new media,” she tells The National. “I start with an illustration then I scan it. I take it across several new media, like apps and softwares. Then I print it and paint on it.” In the case of Reflections of Ether, she also uses strings that have been woven in the center of the canvas, marking a meeting point for its two symmetrical halves.
There are several other evocative works within Through the Years that employ surprising materials. Asma Khoory’s works, for instance, show vibrant portraits of domestic life that have been painted on concrete blocks. Mohamed Yousif presents a series of sculptures that make use of organic materials such as wood and palm reeds.
Even more traditional art forms are strikingly original. Hamdan Al Shamsi takes a collage-like approach to photographs and archival materials while using empty space as a formative element. Faisal Abdelqader’s still life incorporates everyday objects that are recognisable to everyone from the region, including Flower Basket matches and Vimto bottles. Saggaf Al Hashemi, meanwhile, depicts a dramatic gazelle hunting scene, featuring salukis and a hunter on horseback with his spear raised high, ready for the kill.
Al Suwaidi says an exhibition celebrating the diversity of Emirati art seemed like a fitting way to mark the reopening of the Abu Dhabi Creative Centre. “As you can see, the subject matter is different,” she says. “What brings them together is the timeline. What brings them together is they are all Emirati. From one artist to another, you can see the development and change in perspectives.”
Through the Years is running at the Abu Dhabi Creative Centre until March 31
The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
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Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
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Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
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Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Rating: 4/5
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
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When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The five pillars of Islam
