Six Emirati artists represent the UAE at the Revelations International Biennial in Paris


Razmig Bedirian
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Six Emirati artists from the House of Artisans are representing the UAE and its heritage at the Revelations International Biennial of Crafts and Creations in Paris.

This marks the first time the House of Artisans and the UAE are participating in the biennial.

The cultural centre, which is located in Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi, and operates under the Department of Cultural and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, was founded with the aim of preserving crafts created by natural resources.

Shaikha Al Ali's artwork is an homage to the fossil dunes in the Al Wathba area of Abu Dhabi developed through the water present on the land millions of years ago. Photo: House of Artisans
Shaikha Al Ali's artwork is an homage to the fossil dunes in the Al Wathba area of Abu Dhabi developed through the water present on the land millions of years ago. Photo: House of Artisans

The biennial was established in 2013 by the Ateliers d’Art de France, a federation representing thousands of professional craft workers and artists throughout France.

The event celebrates international creations and encourages cross-cultural dialogue. This year marks the fifth iteration of the biennial, which opened on Thursday and will be running until Sunday.

In its exhibition, the House of Artisans is showcasing works that reflect on the cultural narrative of Emirati crafts, tracing their development through a contemporary lens.

“The exhibition features a selection of established and emerging designers from the UAE, who display commissioned pieces inspired by Al-Sadu, Khoos, Talli, maritime crafts and pottery, as well as by the natural landscapes those crafts emerged from,” says Salama Al Shamsi, director of Qasr Al Hosn and historical sites.

Exhibiting artists include Shaikha Al Ali, Ayesha Hadhir, Mohamed Alsuwaidi, Jawaher Al Khayyal, Azza Alsharif, and Ghaya Bin Mesmar.

"Paying homage to the nation’s natural surroundings and its raw materials, these masterpieces of contemporary design offer a fresh perspective from the young designers and artists of the region.”

The pieces are exhibited under the theme of four landscapes: desert, oasis, coast and mountains. They explore organic forms, oral histories, perfume-making and find novel ways of applying age-old weaving techniques.

Azza Alsharif's 'Spun Barrier' (right) is an interior divider is modelled on the Al-Sadu partitions used in the past.
Azza Alsharif's 'Spun Barrier' (right) is an interior divider is modelled on the Al-Sadu partitions used in the past.

“The desert taught our ancestors patience and resourcefulness,” Al Shamsi says. “The oasis is the home to the esteemed palm tree. The coast is home to essential maritime activities, and finally, the mountains, home to clay.

"The designers were selected to represent these landscapes, embodying the legacy of their ancestors while transforming crafts from practical skill to art form.”

Local handicrafts reflect a nation’s history and culture, Al Shamsi says, which makes it a great tool to portray the story of the UAE and what it has to offer on the global scale.

“While creating traditional crafts, artists often use natural elements from their surroundings; this not only helps other nations understand the environment of the country, but also has ecological values,” she says.

As the UAE is committed to sustainable development goals, she says keeping natural works alive promotes an eco-friendly art culture and sustainable artwork.

“Furthermore, handicrafts can be perceived as national treasures with great artistic and economic value,” Al Shamsi says. “When a country’s cultural heritage and artwork is recognised globally, it becomes one of the main elements tourists look for when buying gifts and souvenirs.”

The House of Artisans has also organised a stand at the biennial to exhibit the story of Emirati handicrafts, which also serves as a meeting space for potential collaborations.

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Nutritional yeast

This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.

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"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."

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Onions and garlic

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Your grain of choice

Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."

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Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives. 

The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast. 

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The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Updated: June 13, 2022, 1:58 PM`