La Art Show 2015 - United Arab Emirates (UAE)

P rese n ts

Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates The Embassy of the United Arab

exchange of ideas. The exhibition

Emirates (UAE) in Washington D.C.,

space features 13 Emirati artworks

in collaboration with the 2015 LA Art

and is covered by a contemporary

Show - presents a special exhibition

Arabian

at this year’s show - Past Forward:

conversations about Emirati culture

Contemporary Art from the Emirates.

and the UAE’s vibrant art scene. ,

Organized by the Embassy and the

The main exhibition area highlights

Meridian International Center, this

the influence of culture and change

groundbreaking cultural diplomacy

on cotemporary Emirati art. Flanking

program brings Emirati artwork and

this area are photographs, video,

artists to the United States.

The

installation tells the story of the UAE’s rich history, culture and rapid development through the works of 13 notable Emirati artists. Past Forward represents the first major touring exhibition of Emirati art in the world, and will be on view in Los Angeles as part of the exhibition’s tour around the US through 2016.

tent

that

will

host

and sculpture from the UAE, each of which feature some of the country’s talented artists.

Main Exhibition The United Arab Emirates has a growing,

vibrant

art

scene

that

is flourishing today as the UAE becomes an international destination for art and culture. The UAE is home

The 5,000 square-foot exhibition

to a number of world-renowned

space at the LA ART SHOW 2015 is

events, like the Sharjah Biennial,

designed to highlight Emirati culture

Art Dubai, and Abu Dhabi Art. The

through a selection of artworks and a

UAE’s homegrown art movement

Majlis – an Arabic term which means

is complimented by an array of

a “place of sitting” that is often used

museums and galleries – ranging

to encourage conversation and an

from over 20 museums in Sharjah, to

Dubai’s burgeoning galleries, to Abu

on kinship and home, nature and

Dhabi’s signature Saadiyat Cultural

landscape,

District, which will host branches of

innovation. While immersed in a

the Guggenheim Museum and the

fast-moving,

Louvre, as well as the Sheikh Zayed

continually

National Museum and a world-class

the latest technology and modern

performing arts center.

architecture, Emirati artists remain

Past Forward: Contemporary Art from

deeply connected to their traditions.

and

technology

transitional being

updated

and space with

the Emirates includes artworks that feature core elements of Emirati life

These

paintings,

and represent all seven emirates. It

sculptures and other media reflect

features artists who draw inspiration

how the UAE has embraced rapid

from their nation’s history, society,

economic development over the past

environment and architecture. While

forty

the overarching theme highlights the

maintaining its rich heritage. The

balance between moving forward as

artists and artwork represented in

a nation and holding onto traditional

this exhibition characterize the past,

roots, several other motifs emerge

present, and future of this dynamic

as well. These include an emphasis

nation.

years,

while

photographs,

simultaneously

been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Bonn, Dubai, New York, Paris, and Tokyo. She participated in the inaugural UAE and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage Pavilions at the 53rd Venice Biennale, as well as in the 7th Sharjah Biennial. AbdulAziz has also worked for Al Tashkeel magazine since 2000

Ebtisam AbdulAziz, b. 1975 Autobiography, 2007 Video

Ebtisam

AbdulAziz

is

publications. She belongs to several a

multi-

disciplinary artist and writer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics from the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain. Since 2001, her video performances, photography,

and

and contributes art reviews to other

paintings

have

associations, including the Emirates Fine

Arts

Society,

Dubai

Youth

Theatre, and Art Atelier. Born and raised in Sharjah, AbdulAziz works out of her studio near the Sharjah Art Museum.

Shamma Al Amri received a master’s degree

in

culture

and

creative

industries, and a bachelor’s degree in

art

and

design

from

Zayed

University where she was part of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Young

Leaders

Program.

Known

for her diverse use of media, she has participated in a number of local and international exhibitions, including the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Al

Amri

co-founded

The

Nomad Box Project, which presented contemporary local arts to the public in a renovated shipping container that toured Dubai. She also belongs to the Five Art Beats collective, which is located in a studio/gallery space in Dubai’s Bastakiya district. She is a

Shamma Al Amri, b. 1985 Burj, 2010 Pinhole photograph, 40 x 30

current recipient of the Salama bint

Rhode Island School of Design. Al

Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship,

Amri lives and works in Dubai.

organized in partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technology, both in Dubai. He later enrolled in local and international photography courses to develop his artistic skills. Al Attar has exhibited throughout the UAE and abroad, including at the 2013 Sharjah Biennial

and

the

Archaeological

Museum of Thessaloniki in Greece.

He was selected for the 2013 A.i.R. (Artist-in-Residence) Dubai Program – a partnership between Art Dubai,

Ammar Al Attar, b. 1981

London’s Delfina Foundation, the

Photograph, 32 x 48

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and

Fish Market I, 2014

Ammar Al Attar obtained a master’s degree

in

international

business

from the University of Wollongong and a bachelor’s degree in business information

technology

from

the

Tashkeel gallery. He is also a member of the Emirates Photography Society, Abu Dhabi International Photographic Society, and the Emirates Fine Arts Society. Al Attar currently lives and works in Ajman.

Zeinab Al Hashemi completed her undergraduate studies in multimedia design at Zayed University’s College of Arts and Sciences in Dubai. She participated in the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority’s billboards initiative, and her work has been featured in Shanghai, as well as at the UAE’s Tashkeel gallery, Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, Maraya

Zeinab Al Hashemi, b. 1986 Pearl Tale, 2010 Scanograph, 17 x 24

Art Centre, The Ara Gallery, and the Bastakiya district. In 2012, she participated in the A.i.R. (Artistin-Residence) Dubai Program and Design Days Dubai, and in 2013 was part of the Sharjah Biennial. Al

first Emirati pop-art pastry catering company that prepares traditional sweets. She currently lives and works in Dubai.

Hashemi created Dibs & Dips, the

photography. Al Qasimi participated in Campus Art Dubai in 2013 and held a summer residency at Burren College of Art in Ireland in 2011. She also won the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship, which is administered through a partnership with the Rhode Island School of

Farah Al Qasimi, b. 1991

Design. She has exhibited her work at

Ice Cream Truck (Digdaga, Ras Al Khaimah), 2014, Photograph, 20 x 24

numerous venues in Dubai, including

Farah Al Qasimi was raised in both the

Art Fair, and The Pavilion. Al Qasimi

the Cuadro Fine Art Gallery, SIKKA

United Arab Emirates and the United

currently teaches photography at

States. She holds a bachelor’s degree

the Higher Colleges of Technology in

in fine art from Yale University with

Dubai. She lives and works in Dubai.

a concentration in analog and digital

Hamdan Buti Al Shamsi is a self-taught photographer,

graphic

designer,

and writer. He has participated in a number of group exhibitions around the United Arab Emirates, including in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States. Recently, Al Shamsi received the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship, which is organized in partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design. He also teaches courses in photography with the Abu Dhabi Educational Council and digital

Hamdan Buti Al Shamsi, b. 1981 Moments of the Oasis, 2014 Mixed media, 32 x 22.5

college workshops at FUNN: Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children. Al Shamsi currently lives and works in Al Ain.

number of venues have featured her documentaries, films, and media artworks, including Abu Dhabi Art 2012, Sheikha Salam “Art for All” Community Pavilion, Qasr Al Hosn Festival,

Tashkeel

gallery,

Anasy

Documentary Awards, and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Maitha Al Mehairbi, b. 1988 Untitled, 2013 Video

Maitha Al Mehairbi– a writer, cultural

Heritage. Al Mehairbi has previously worked

for

twofour54,

the

Abu

Dhabi Media Zone Authority. She has contributed writing and photography

consultant, and visual artist- works

to the National’s multimedia segment

primarily in film and mixed media.

and Al Boom magazine. Al Mehairbi

She holds a bachelor’s degree in

lives and works in Abu Dhabi.

communication and media science from Zayed University in Dubai. A

Maitha Demithan holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Zayed University

in

Dubai.

Her

work

combines several mediums, including photography, scanography, painting, drawing, and photo transfers. As a child, she sketched her first drawings in the sand. This pastime formed her early appreciation for color, texture, line, and shadow. In her notable 2009

Maitha Demithan, b. 1989 Ajyal (Generations), 2012 Scanograph, 54.25 x 64.5

exhibition entitled Documentation at Tashkeel gallery, Demithan presented her scanned self-portraits for the first time. She also participated in Across the Gulf, a group show that was part of the ARC Biennial of Art in Brisbane, Australia, as well as Emerge in the Venice Biennale, Emirati Vision

in Berlin, and the UAE Pavilion’s Biladi during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. She has since exhibited in China, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.

Demithan works and resides in Dubai.

electronic media. Her work takes distinct

forms

installations,

between

photography,

video and

projections onto three-dimensional surfaces. She is known for conducting extensive research for her projects to explore social issues, semiotics, and tradition in contemporary Emirati culture. Edris has exhibited in the United Arab Emirates and abroad, including in Bangladesh, England, and Italy. In 2011, Maraya Art Centre

Alaa Edris, b. 1986

Kharareef – Fables from the Trucial States 2011, Video

Alaa Edris is a visual artist who holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Fine Arts & Design at the University of Sharjah, with a concentration in

commissioned Edris to create a sitespecific installation throughout the Al Qasba district as part of the Sharjah Biennial, as well as for London’s 2013 Moving Image contemporary video art fair. She currently lives and works in Sharjah.

Lamya Gargash graduated from the American University in Sharjah in 2004 and then received her master’s degree

in

communication

design

from Central Saint Martins in London in 2007. Her work has been featured in

group

exhibitions

in

Canada,

France, Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, as well as within the UAE. Throughout her career, she has garnered numerous awards for her work in film and photography, including first prize at the 2004

Lamya Gargash, b. 1982

Emirates Film Festival and an Ibda’a

Red Television, Majlis series, 2009 Photograph, 23.5 x 23.5

Special Jury Award for her film Wet Tiles. Most notably, Gargash

artist

participated

National Pavilion. She currently lives

in

the

53rd

Venice

Biennale in 2009 as the featured

of

her

country’s

first-ever

and works in Dubai.

state-of-the-art facilities for artists and designers living and working in the United Arab Emirates. Since 2008,

bint

Maktoum

her

digital

films

internationally,

has

shown

photography including

and at

exhibitions in Australia, China, Italy, and the United States, among others.

She has received several accolades, such as the Ibda’a Media Student Award for digital photography and the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al

Lateefa bint Maktoum, b. 1985 The Last Look, 2009 Photograph, 39.25 x 59

Lateefa bint Maktoum received her bachelor’s degree in visual arts from Zayed University in 2007. She is the founder and director of Tashkeel, a public studio complex that provides

Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Award.

Her work can be found in private and public collections worldwide. Bint Maktoum currently lives and works in Dubai.

Khalid Mezaina is an independent graphic designer, illustrator, and artist.

He graduated from the American University of Sharjah with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication and entered the art world with full-time positions in cultural organizations, including the Sharjah Art Foundation and Tashkeel. Working in creative communities participate

inspired in

Mezaina

group

United Arab Emirates and abroad.

In 2010 he launched Krossbreed, independent,

interdisciplinary

studio and product design brand.

Krossbreed

products

Wind Towers, 2010 Serigraph, 24 x 16.25

exhibitions,

projects, and residencies, both in the

an

Khalid Mezaina, b. 1985

to

–

such

furniture,

and

more

contemporary,

–

combine

culturally

infused

designs with an unconventional flare.

Mezaina lives and works in Dubai.

as

clothing, prints, stationery, wallpaper,

the quality of his work through continuous training, fieldwork, and experimentation.

Bin

Lahej

has

been recognized in recent years for his participation in exhibitions both locally and abroad, including in

Germany,

Turkey,

Kuwait,

and

the

Morocco,

United

States.

Private collections throughout the Gulf region hold his work, which has also been featured in Bonhams auctions. In addition to creating his

Mattar bin Lahej, b. 1968 Folded proverbs Sculpture 140 x 100 x 100

Mattar Bin Lahej He

is a self-taught has

annual summer camps at his gallery, MarsamMattar,

artist – a painter, sculptor, and photographer.

own art, he organizes and manages

nurtured

his artistic talents and enhanced

to

foster

young

talent. Bin Lahej oversees workshops throughout

the

Emirates

and

coordinates numerous exhibitions in his gallery and at other locations. He lives and works in Dubai.

UAE Cultural Experience at LA Art Show

The people of the United Arab

In addition to viewing works of art by

Emirates

(UAE)

many

notable Emirati artists, the Embassy

customs

from

Bedouin

of the UAE provides LA Art Show

ancestors, including the importance

guests the experience of a modern

of hospitality. Traditionally, Bedouins

interpretation of a traditional Bedouin

extended

all

tent that invokes the imagery and

travelers in the desert. They invited

vibrancy of contemporary Arabia.

complete strangers to stay with them

During the opening night visitors

for up to three days. Bedouins also

will also be welcomed to the UAE

frequently used large and ornate

“Featured Guest Country” pavilion by

tents, where they hosted gatherings

local Emirati students in traditional

and feasts. Visitors to the 2015 LA

national dress - men in long, white

Art Show will get a glimpse into

robes called a dishdash and women

this unique culture when they visit

in black abayas with ornate designs.

the United Arab Emirates “Featured

Keeping with the tradition of their

Guest Country” exhibition. Through

ancestors, visitors will be presented

the exhibit, guests will enjoy learning

with traditional Arabic coffee and

about the UAE’s rich history and

dates, as they explore the exhibit.

vibrant culture.

ever National Pavilion. She currently

their

preserve their

generosity

to

lives and works in Dubai.