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Blended Art

The thick orange, purple and green brush strokes sweeping across a canvas hardly resemble the meticulously transcribed Arabic letters framed by ornate flowers and geometric patterns commonly conceived of as calligraphic art.

The work, by Pakistani artists Ismail Gulgee, is one of 20 diverse works on exhibit for one month at the Grand Hyatt Dubai and in Bahrain as part of the Art Select sale, some of the proceeds of which will go to the Children’s Hope Foundation. The works vary greatly: Islamic artists from Germany, Bahrain, the UAE and Pakistan will display their works.

Karin Adrian von Roques, a specialist on Middle Eastern Contemporary Art, met Kanika Subberwal, the director of Art Select at Art Dubai last spring. Von Roques says the two began talking about artists they each typically dealt with — Von Roques mainly about Middle Eastern artists and Subberwal about South Asian ones. Both regions have been strongly influenced by Islam, though in different ways, and this exhibit was a means of exploring those differences.

Gulgee depicted many of the 99 names of God in his work, often in styles not seen in the Gulf regions. His paintings frequently contained traces of gold and silver, another allusion to the calligraphic works that traditionally blend art and Islam.

The colour and the experimentation with the calligraphy’s structure is something Subberwal says stands out about the South Asian works. “I think it originates a lot from their culture. The studying that I’ve done is that they are also very, very influenced by a lot of calligraphy coming out of this region,” Subberwal says. “So, you feel maybe the impression (of Islamic art), but in their own distinct voice.”

Von Roques, who acted as an advisor for this exhibit, brought many Middle Eastern artists into the mix.

Ahmed Khan’s painting, featuring smooth calligraphy in bright orange and red are echoed to be ever darkening reflections of the script.

Syrian Nasr Warour’s muted colour palette, use of Arabic and the evil eye are a strong contrast to Gulgee’s thick brush strokes. Von Roques works with many artists who use mixed media to create their works.

These contrasts, though, seem to unite the pieces. Neither Von Roques nor Subberwal said they see a collective contrast between the Middle Eastern and the South Asian artists.

“When you look at them as part of a catalogue, you would think they’ve been put together by the same group of people,” Subberwal said. “Surprisingly when you look at them put together, they are all blended.”

emily@khaleejtimes.com