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About Sharjah: Art of the matter

SHARJAH - A permanent collection of over 300 Orientalist works from the 18th and 19th century embellished by artworks from renowned artists in the likes of David Roberts, Ludwig Deutsch and Elizabeth Murray has defined the Sharjah Arts Museum.

Similarly, the museum temporarily houses the 130 artworks of 34 artists from the Emirates Fine Arts Society as part of its 30th annual exhibition, which started on January 25 and will continue till April 21.

A tour of the museum will lead visitors to Fatima Mohiuddin’s “Syndrome”, a live time-based piece on ‘compulsion and chaos’ done inside her box room in four to six hours. The equally admirable artworks of Emiratis — Nasir Nasralla’s “Stores” in rich acrylic; Jassim Rabee’s works in acrylic; Rashed Al Shashai’s “Inheritance Earth”; Khadija Fikri’s series of photos showing how the UAE has become a multinational society; Ali Al Abdan’s “Simplification”; Matar bin Lahej’s “Dying Language” (Arabic) in coated metal; Mohammed Al Mazroui conveying random visuals; Mahmoud Aboud’s “Two Baghdad Musicians”; Mona Al Khaja’s ‘Hidden Pearls”; and other enriching pieces of arts — are collections of a lifetime.

Set up in April 1997, the Sharjah Art Museum enriches the cultural life of the emirate’s community and its regional, national, and international visitors through its art collections and programmes. “We believe in the power of art to stimulate thought, creativity and provide enjoyment,” says Alya Al Mulla, curator of the museum.

Besides the permanent Orientalist collection and ongoing programme of conducting international and regional exhibitions, the museum will exhibit the prestigious collections of a visionary modernist, Ibrahim El Salahi, on March 20.

The El Salahi exhibition will be organised by the Museum for African Art in New York and supported, in part, by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. It traces El Salahi’s journey of five decades, from his time in Sudan to his self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom and Qatar, and later, in the USA.

His art defined by an eclectic array of influences, including Sudanese aesthetic oeuvres, African iconography, Western art practices, Islamic cultural mores and socio-political sensitivities. He gathered his art experiences from his life and has, in turn, become a respected national figure, a political prisoner, a pioneer of native Sudanese art and an art mentor to society.

By May 9, an OPUS 5 exhibition will be held in cooperation with the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). It will exhibit works by the faculty members of the college and their current design research and creative works. The works include mixed media, graphic design, photography, illustration, print, sculpture, video and installation that represent their continued engagement with contemporary art.

Manal Ataya, Sharjah Museums Director-General says, “We look forward to building new strategic partnerships with international museums in the USA and Asia, further research our collections and make new additions, and we will also continue to develop further our community outreach and accessibility programmes to maintain our position as the best in the region.

“Our support for the Emirates Fine Arts Society (EFAS) exhibition that promotes local artists is in keeping with our belief in the power of art to stimulate thought, creativity and provide enjoyment. Such exhibitions are part of our comprehensive programmes for all ages which integrate art into the daily lives of our community and visitors.”

The number of visitors to the art museum has increased by 20 per cent last year from the previous year, the top five visitors are local, GCC, South Asian, German and Russian tourists.

During the exhibition, the museum offers art workshops and guided tours to all schools across the UAE. The EFAS also organises different seminars, lectures and workshops by the artists themselves in conjunction with the exhibition for school and university students as well as anyone interested in this field.

The Sharjah Art Museum hosts various exhibitions all year round. It has hosted exhibitions from international museums such as Tate Britain and The Museum of African Art in New York and, most importantly, the Sharjah Biennial, one of the most celebrated cultural events in the region and a cultural bridge between artists, art institutions and organisations locally, regionally and internationally.

The Art Museum Fine Arts Library, located on the ground floor, consists of over 4,000 titles in Arabic, English, and other languages along with visual and audio materials.

lily@khaleejtimes.com