Institute of Traditional Arts will promote Saudi cultural sector

Thu, 2021-04-01 02:24

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Institute of Traditional Arts at the Royal Academy of Arts is intended to bring traditional Saudi art to the masses both locally and internationally through educational programs and talent development.

The cabinet has approved the plan, which was first announced by Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan in 2019.

The Acting Executive Director of Marketing and Communication at the Kingdom’s Quality of Life program, Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Bakr, said on Wednesday that the institute will be “a qualitative leap toward promoting the cultural sector” and will take interest in the Kingdom’s traditional arts to “another level” through comprehensive strategic institutional work.

The institute is part of the Academies of Arts initiative announced by the culture ministry in March 2019, and it will cover five different areas: The support of “living treasures” that preserve traditional arts and heritage; training and production; awareness; global communication; and research.

It will focus on “enriching traditional Saudi arts and promoting their exhibition locally and internationally,” and on providing artists and craftsmen with a platform to promote traditional Saudi arts.

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Art & Culture

Tags: 

Institute of Traditional Arts

Saudi arts

Minister lauds Saudi Cabinet plan for traditional arts instituteSaudi artist’s painting of a classic draws Mercedes-Benz attention Saudi artist paints nation’s heritage across rocks Saudi artist proves disability is no barrier to success https://ift.tt/3dqnvxU April 01, 2021 at 12:42AM

Read More

Addis Fine Art gallery showcases Ethiopian work at Art Dubai 2021

Author: 

Wed, 2021-03-31 16:35

DUBAI: The 14th edition of Art Dubai — recognized as the Middle East’s leading art fair for showcasing local, regional, and international artists —  is attracting art lovers in the UAE with an in-person fair set to wrap up on Saturday.

Among the participating galleries is Addis Fine Art gallery, which has set up a booth at the event for the fourth year. 

The art hub, which is based in London and Addis Ababa, is exhibiting a group show of four artists from across Ethiopia — Tadesse Mesfin, Addis Gezehagn, Tsedaye Makonnen and Tizta Berhanu. 

Tadesse Mesfin, Pillars of Life (2021) Oil on canvas, 165 x 170 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Addis Fine Art. (Supplied)

Each of the artists is showcasing new works that explore and document humanity’s adaptability and resilient responses to moments of upheaval.

Gallery co-founder Rakeb Sile said that Art Dubai is one of her favorites.

“It’s the only fair where we get to see galleries from pretty much the global south. It’s a really diverse encounter. Other fairs that we do are not necessarily that diverse,” she told Arab News. 

Rakeb Sile co-founded the gallery with Mesai Haileleul. (Supplied)

She believes that putting Ethiopian artists in “that conversation is also important, because it teaches us things that we wouldn’t have necessarily found out just by doing a Western fair.”  

Sile launched Addis Fine Art gallery with Mesai Haileleul as a “passion project.” 

“It was like, ‘we know this is amazing; why doesn’t the rest of the world know about any of these artists?’” she said. 

Addis Gezehagen, Floating City XXIII, 100 x 80 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Addis Fine Art. (Supplied)

Haileleul elaborated on his partner’s words, saying that the art scene in Addis Ababa has “incredible talent.”

“Obviously a lot of people might not be familiar with it. We do not have a lot of galleries there that function and work like Addis Fine Art gallery because it is very difficult,” he said. 

“For that reason, artists do not get the representation they badly need. But it’s not for lack of talent. We are there to change that; we are there to help with that.”

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Art & Culture

Tags: 

Art Dubai

Art Dubai 2021

Addis Fine Art

https://ift.tt/39xXPyp March 31, 2021 at 02:44PM

Read More

Aïsha Al-Ahmadi, from the sign to the truth

Wed, 2021-03-31 15:31

BEIRUT: At 23, Aïsha Al-Ahmadi is what we call an “old soul”. Her career, from writing and literature to conceptual art, reflects the impressive maturity of the young Emirati artist. Her work features in the “Sense of Women” exhibition at the ME Hotel in Dubai. This exhibition-event, nestled in the undulating building designed by the Anglo-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, is entirely dedicated to female art, as its title suggests. The works come from the MIA Art Collection, a foundation created by Chilean patron Alejandra Castro Rioseco.

Emirati artist Aïsha Al-Ahmadi. (Supplied)

Intrigued by Foucault’s response to Magritte’s calligrams ...

One cannot help but be challenged by this dark structure. Like so many signposts, words of red light are organized and drawn in dotted lines. They say “Art is subjective.” In another work, we can discern fragments of text: of / Truth / Our understanding… nothing which, end to end, really makes sense. For the young artist, “each word is unique, because the mind naturally links it to other words to form a sentence.” Aisha Al-Ahmadi’s artistic quest is rooted in literature. She says she aspires to a form of reconciliation and a feeling of belonging, between drawing, engraving, painting, photography and sculpture. She is intrigued by Foucault’s response to Magritte’s calligrams (in which the form recedes) and the signs become an integral part of her constructivist mode and end up linking spatiality and textuality.

“My love for art has always been linked to my love for writing. You could say that one led to the other. As a child, I wrote stories that I illustrated and sold to family members. It was my mother who saw this potential in me before I realized it myself, insisting on taking me to art classes. I have long remained attached to traditional mediums such as oil and acrylic paint, charcoal and printmaking. I only started experimenting with concept art during my undergraduate project and later, when I received the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan scholarship for emerging artists,” Aïsha Al-Ahmadi told Arab News in French.

Eclectic influences

When asked about the influences that have irrigated her passion, the young woman hesitates: “It’s always difficult to answer such a question. I feel like I have to pick my favorites. Every artist I’ve met on my path has taught me something, directly or indirectly. I admire the works of Jenny Holzer, Artemisia Gentileschi and Taryn Simon. On the literary level, I feel strongly inspired by the writings of Amin Maalouf, especially his book In the Name of Identity. Books such as The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own have greatly influenced my thinking and subsequently my art practice.”

A master’s student in history of art and museum studies at the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, Aïsha Al-Ahmadi also emphasizes that everything informs her practice, even if she is not necessarily aware of the influences that affect her. “I think my academic readings inspire me with potential ideas for future research and subsequently for artistic production,” she says.

One day, in Arabic

Because she leads us into the territory of literature, we ask Aïsha why these words, to which she does violence by isolating them from the sentences that give them meaning, are specifically English words: “My artistic practice is deeply linked to literature and research. Language and literature are an integral part of my identity, and in particular the Arabic language. However, as I grew up, I focused more on English, which is not my mother tongue and which I needed to improve. As an adult, however, I had the pleasure to rediscover Arabic and fall in love with it again. I intend to produce works in Arabic, especially playing with homonyms,” she says.

Another view of the installation “Signs: Vehicles to Truth” by Aïsha Al-Ahmadi. (Supplied)

Female art in a world dominated by men

On the feeling that inspires her to be part of a female collective in the Sense of Women exhibition, Aïsha Al-Ahmadi underlines that she “really liked working with MIA art and especially getting to know the founder, Alejandra Castro.”

“It reminded me that women really stand with women,” she says, adding that “the support and love that went into the exhibition is very heart-warming. Being granted a representation as part of a women-only collective is important primarily because the art history canon has been largely dominated by men. It’s great to see an initiative shedding light on the achievements of women artists and I believe this contributes to the production of a more complete and inclusive art scene. Therefore, it is also a contribution in the history of art.”

Finding your identity in a globalized world

Finally, on the difficulties of her generation, as a young Emirati, and her artist’s response to these concerns, Aïsha comments: “Personally, I believe that, like many other young Emiratis, I try to reconcile living in a world that is becoming more and more global and emerging from a collective society with individual voices. I believe that this struggle to establish one’s sense of identity is universal. With such big changes underway, now associated with a global pandemic, a lot of fears could emerge from the uncertainty. Regarding my artistic response, I tend to produce work that channels my thoughts on topics such as identity, perception and post-colonialism and is grounded in research. That being said, it is difficult and probably unrealistic to speak on behalf of an entire generation.”

• Aïsha Al Ahmadi’s installation is part of the Sense of Women exhibition, ME Hotel, Dubai, from March 28 to April 20, 2021

Main category: 

Art & Culture

Lifestyle

Tags: 

Aïsha Al-Ahmadi

Dubai

Sense of Women

ME hotel

‘Sense of Women’ art exhibition to be staged at ME DubaiMari Ito: A particular imagination, a dreamlike and colorful universe https://ift.tt/3ryojWA March 31, 2021 at 01:48PM

Read More

Cynthia Merhej announced as first Arab woman shortlisted for fashion’s LVMH Prize

Wed, 2021-03-31 14:02

DUBAI: The 20 semi-finalists for the 2021 LVMH Prize for Young Designers have been announced, and among the designers chosen is Cynthia Merhej, the Lebanese talent behind womenswear label Renaissance Renaissance. Merhej, who is based between Lebanon and France, is the first Arab woman to be shortlisted for the prestigious prize. She has been selected alongside fashion creatives that hail from around the world, spanning from Italy to Nigeria and Japan to the United States.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by LVMHPrize (@lvmhprize)

Due to coronavirus restrictions, Merhej’s collection will be shown in a virtual showroom from April 6 to 11 on lvmhprize.com, alongside the collections of the other 19 semi-finalists. Visitors will be able to vote on their favorites, a first for the LVMH Prize.

“I am very grateful to all the candidates from more than 110 countries for taking part in this year’s competition and I would like to congratulate the semi-finalists,” said Delphine Arnault, executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and founder of the LVMH Prize in a released statement. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by @renaissance_renaissance

“All the semi-finalists have incorporated a responsible stance in their creative vision: use of innovative or traditional materials, upcycling, recycled fibres, artisanal and local approaches. These initiatives echo the shift in the fashion and luxury industries,” she added.

The winner of the 2021 LVMH Prize will receive $352,000 plus a year of mentorship from designers and executives within LVMH.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by @renaissance_renaissance

Meanwhile, the winner of the Karl Lagerfeld special prize will receive $176,000 and a year of mentorship. 

Helping select the winning designers for the eighth edition of the award is the LVMH Prize’s new ambassador, 23-year-old tennis champion Naomi Osaka. She will join the newest additions to the Committee of Experts, including part-Palestinian model Bella Hadid and French actress Lea Seydoux, among others.

Read on for the 2021 LVMH Prize semi-finalists.

AGR by Alicia Robinson, womenswear and menswear, British designer based in London

Bianca Saunders, by Bianca Saunders, menswear, British designer based in London

Charles de Vilmorin, by Charles de Vilmorin, genderless collections, French designer based in Paris

Christopher John Rogers, by Christopher John Rogers, womenswear, American designer based in New York

Conner Ives, by Conner Ives, womenswear, American designer based in London

Federico Cina, by Federico Cina, genderless collections, designer italian based in Sarsina

Kidsuper, by Colm Dillane, menswear, American designer based in New York

Kika Vargas, by Kika Vargas, womenswear, Colombian designer based in Bogota

Lagos Space Programme, by Adeju Thompson, genderless collections, Nigerian designer based in Lagos

Lukhanyo Mdingi, by Lukhanyo Mdingi, womenswear and menswear, South African designer based in Cape Town

Midorikawa, by Taku Midorikawa, genderless collections, Japanese designer based in Tokyo

Nensi Dojaka, by Nensi Dojaka, womenswear, Albanian designer based in London

Post Archive Faction (PAF), by Dongjoon Lim, menswear, South Korean designer based in Seoul

Renaissance Renaissance, by Cynthia Merhej, womenswear, Lebanese designer based in Beirut

Rier, by Andreas Steiner, genderless collections, Italian designer based in Paris

Rui, by Rui Zhou, genderless collections, Chinese designer based in Shanghai

Saul Nash, by Saul Nash, menswear, British designer based in London

Shuting Qiu, by Shuting Qiu, womenswear, Chinese designer based in Shanghai

Taakk, by Takuya Morikawa, menswear, Japanese designer based in Tokyo

Wed, by Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips, womenswear, British designers based in London

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Fashion

Tags: 

LVMH Prize 2021

arab designers

https://ift.tt/2Pmkeb0 March 31, 2021 at 12:07PM

Read More

Arab Fashion Week: Day three highlights include sorority style, glamor gowns

Author: 

Wed, 2021-03-31 13:55

DUBAI: Read on for the key points from day three of Arab Fashion Week 2021, currently underway.

Ester Manas

Ester Manas Fall 2021. Supplied

Presented on the Arab Fashion Week official calendar by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode — the organization behind Paris Fashion Week — the sustainable brand founded by Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre  sought inspiration from US Vice President Kamala Harris’s sorority. “We asked ourselves, what’s being part of a sorority,” said the designers and former LVMH Prize finalists. The result: Complementing salmon pink and apple green hues married with custom floral motifs, pussy-bow blouses, denim jackets and a ruched cocktail evening gown. 

Ezra Tuba

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by ARAB FASHION COUNCIL (@arabfashioncouncil)

The Turkish label, which has been a member of the Arab Fashion Week since the start of the pandemic, presented its Fall 2022 collection titled “Welcome to the 2999” on Tuesday via a futuristic fashion film illustrating the hi-tech direction of the brand. A major highlight of the collection was the use of Graphene Denim, developed in collaboration with Orta Anadolu Denim, which is a new, biodegradable textile material that serves as a conductor of heat and electricity. The future-forward brand also utilized artificial leather made out of apple pulp and cotton produced by biodynamic agriculture in its new offering.

Andrea Conti

Supplied.

On Monday, the eponymous Brazilian label showcased its second collection of high jewelry in a short fashion film uploaded to the brand’s official Instagram account. The four-minute-long clip is set inside an opulent hotel suite, where three women wearing bathrobes and Andrea Conti jewels play around with the rings, necklaces and earrings from the new collection.

Sandro Barros

Supplied.

Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai was the main source of inspiration for the Sandro Barros’s Fall 2022 collection. The Brazilian designer paid homage to the influence of Chinese culture in Hollywood films of the 1930s for his eponymous brand’s collection of couture dresses. Renowned movies such as “In the Mood for Love” and “Shanghai Express” starring Marlene Dietrich served as the inspiration for the 30 couture gowns that make up the offering. The new collection was punctuated with gowns hand-embroidered with silk thread, fringes and Swarovski crystals. When it came to the color palette, Barros opted for navy blue with beige, cherry with gold and nude mixed with orange. A standout from the collection is a short, embroidered bolero with a high collar worn with sky-blue silk crepe pantaloons.

Euphoria

Supplied.

On Tuesday, Emirati label Euphoria presented its second collection on the official calendar of Arab Fashion Week. Titled “La Dolca Vita” – which translates to “the good life” – the new offering was showcased by way of a fashion film that was shot at Dubai’s DIFC. The designer drew inspiration from Italian director Federico Fellini’s 1960s comedy movie “La Dolca Vita'' for the new capsule collection. When it came to the clothing, the minimalist offering boasted classic and modern pieces built on soft fabrics, pared-down details and a harmonious color palette of nude, gray and black broken up with lashings of beige and rose gold.

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Fashion

Tags: 

Arab Fashion Week

https://ift.tt/3ryojG4 March 31, 2021 at 12:01PM

Read More

Venezuelan artist Harif Guzman talks first solo show in Dubai

Author: 

Wed, 2021-03-31 13:10

DUBAI: Anyone not familiar with Harif Guzman’s work may want to get acquainted.

The contemporary Venezuelan-born, New York-based painter is best known for his street art works under his alter ego Haculla – those who have visited the Big Apple will have likely caught a glimpse of his graphic murals – in addition to his multimedia collages and thought-provoking installations using a combination of materials such as photographs, wood, paint, fabrics, and LED lights.

Guzman, who draws influence from his artist father, has had his work displayed globally via solo and group exhibitions, including in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia. And he is set to preview his latest works as part of a solo show entitled “Three Wishes” during the upcoming 2021 edition of Art Dubai, taking place until April 3.

Purple Genie, 2021, mixed media on canvas. Supplied

Art Dubai is being held at various venues dotted throughout the city, and Guzman’s display will be staged at Downtown’s Foundry.

“Three Wishes” consists of a series of paintings that are a direct response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“I’ve seen that this period of time has conjured up a lot of feelings of uncertainty and fear, but also hope,” Guzman told Arab News.

“In a time like this, people’s thoughts tend to turn to wishful thinking as they are simultaneously witnessing what was once normal and secure begin to change. What I have done is expressed the aspects of this era of wishful thinking in a colorful way.”

Lady In Blue, 2021, mixed media on canvas (L); Man In Blue, 2021, mixed media on canvas (R). Supplied

The artist will be exhibiting more than 25 oil paintings and mixed media collages that range from abstract portraits to elusive graffiti-like symbols and obsessive scribbles.

Guzman said: “Each piece of work that I create has a different message and reflects different emotions to whatever is relevant to me at the time. I translate emotions through whichever medium I decide to work with and move in ways that feel best.

“Our thoughts and feelings are constantly changing each day. In my early works I had a more art brut approach, but I evolve as an artist every day. There are no constants.

“This also rings true with my work as it represents the evolution of changing consciousness and awareness of the metaphysical,” he added.

Green Man Wishing For Better Things, 2021, mixed media on canvas. Supplied

Guzman’s interest in art began in his early childhood. Growing up with a father who was a printer, he often helped him from as young as five years old. moving around the country was also a major source of influence to him.

“My cup of emotions filled up and started to spill out through painting along with writing and music.

“Living in New York, I was constantly surrounded by creatives, especially within the skate (skateboarders) community. It sparked my creative energy even more when I saw other skaters’ decks covered in custom art and graphics.

Granting Beauty, 2021, oil on canvas (L), Granting Wisdom, 2021, oil on canvas (C), Granting Wealth, 2021, oil on canvas (R). Supplied

“Another big inspiration that drove me into painting was watching (US movie director) Stanley Kubrick’s films, with the way he incorporated art into everything he made,” said Guzman.

Despite the challenges heaped on the cultural sector by the COVID-19 pandemic, Guzman pointed out that he was fortunate to have been able to maintain his creative flow given the circumstances.

“I have been able to travel to places that were not locked down, allowing me to explore and experience my settings as before.

One Of A Kind, 2021,black crystalina, oil on canvas. Supplied

“Even though the working or creative environment is more tedious given social and industry changes, when it comes to work, I am always able to do what is needed to express myself through art. A change in circumstance inspires creativity for me because it is a new experience to translate,” he added.

Following Art Dubai, the multi-faceted artist will be heading straight to his retrospective show at MOMA Moscow before beginning work on a series of outdoor public sculptures. “But that’s all I am able to reveal at the moment,” he said.

Watch this space.

Main category: 

Art & Culture

Lifestyle

Tags: 

Art Dubai 2021

Harif Guzman

https://ift.tt/39tjis0 March 31, 2021 at 11:26AM

Read More

Shanina Shaik highlights violence against Asian community in online series

Author: 

Wed, 2021-03-31 11:41

DUBAI: From Rihanna and Kate Hudson to Gwyneth Paltrow and Olivia Munn, celebrities have taken to social media condemning the recent surge in anti-Asian violence after a 21-year-old man entered three massage parlors on 16 March in Atlanta killing eight women – six of whom were Asian. Also using her platform to advocate against the increase in hate crimes against the Asian community is Australian model Shanina Shaik, who is of Saudi and Pakistani descent.

The supermodel, who has walked the Victoria’s Secret runway five times, invited two guests to her weekly Instagram Live series “Wellness Wednesdays” to address Sinophobia. 

The 30-year-old announced that she will be hosting the Instagram Live series “Wellness Wednesdays” back in May. The online series, that typically focuses on wellness and health, takes place once a week on Wednesdays, and features a new guest to discuss topics ranging from mental to physical health. The first episode, featuring Glennon Doyle, an American author and an activist, premiered on May 13.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by SHANINA SHAIK (@shaninamshaik)

This week, best-selling author and returning guest Candice Kamay and Nadya Okamoto, founder of lifestyle platform It’s August, joined Shaik in the Instagram Live session to speak about instances of racist and often violent attacks against Asians.

“I decided to do this IG Live because of the ongoing issues with hate crimes toward Asians,” explained Shaik ahead of the episode, “And I recently did (a) Clubhouse conversation with these two amazing women and I think it’s important to continue this conversation and help one another, educate one another and most importantly, support one another.”

She added: “I’m really excited for this just because it's really important. I’ve been seeing a lot of videos recently that it’s so harmful and so hurtful and it hits home for me.”

Instagram/@hudabeauty

US-Iraqi beauty mogul Huda Kattan also recently spoke out about racism toward the Asian community that she says has “increased dramatically” since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019.

Moroccan-British model Nora Attal took to Instagram to speak up about violence against the Asian community in the UK, too. She wrote: “This is disgusting… people are using Asians as a scapegoat to vent their anger.”

Main category: 

Fashion

Lifestyle

Tags: 

Shanina Shaik

https://ift.tt/3dmeupF March 31, 2021 at 09:46AM

Read More

New beauty tool for hijab-wearing women solves overlooked problem

Tue, 2021-03-30 15:57

DUBAI: ModBeautyKeeper, an accessory designed by Dubai-based New Yorker Nandi Barker, solves a problem that many hijab-wearing women face when applying cosmetics or touching up their makeup on the go. 

It acts as a protective cover or liner that stops the accidental transfer of makeup onto hijabs, a game-changer for hijab-wearing makeup bloggers and influencers as well as women who want a touch up while they are out and about.

“On point! On your face! And off your hijab!” proclaims the product packaging, with the website saying the item is aimed at modesty beauty enthusiasts. 

Barker came up with the idea after watching beauty tutorials online and noticing that influencers were getting makeup on their clothes.

“I started researching on designing this beauty tool to fill the gap in the market,” she told Arab News.

Makeup artists and content creators would often stuff or line their hijabs with tissue paper to avoid accidental makeup transfer.

Barker’s product is one of the first in the market to cater specifically for women who wear the hijab.

The product comes in two cruelty-free designs to accommodate different hijab styles. Supplied

Zainab Hassan, a freelance makeup artist and beauty content creator from London, said hijabi women were often “tokenized” in the industry.

“(Hijabis) are usually used to fulfil a diversity image, but the industry doesn’t always cater to them the way they should or represent them fully,” she told Arab News, adding: “Hijabi is such a vague label and there are so many categories within that category which need representing.”

She believed it was important for beauty brands to listen to their consumers in order to be more inclusive toward Muslim women.

“If you give your consumers a voice and implement what they need you create a relationship that makes them feel included.”

Barker handed out prototypes to several friends, who tested the product. Using their feedback and extensive market research, she came up with two designs for the cruelty-free beauty tool to accommodate different hijab styles.

Barker’s product is one of the first in the market to cater specifically for women who wear the hijab. Supplied

ModBeautyKeeper Original provides semi-protection and is best suited for women who like to keep out a couple of strands from their hairline.

ModBeautyKeeper 360, which launched on World Hijab Day last month, is designed for beauty enthusiasts who prefer full head coverings, and offers maximum protection from makeup stains.

Barker said the tool was extremely easy to use. “All you have to do is peel off the plastic to expose two sticky adhesives and then align the corners with your upper hijab area by firmly pressing the sticky side on to the hijab. Afterward, position your ModBeautyKeeper around your face and firmly press down on the hijab to ensure the adhesive is locked on. It is easy and mess-free.”

When asked if she had plans to expand her brand, Barker responded that the goal was to grow her business.

ModBeautyKeeper retails for $18 and can be purchased at www.6thstreet.com, where it recently launched.

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Fashion

Tags: 

Modbeautykeeper

https://ift.tt/3mgAbf3 March 30, 2021 at 02:16PM

Read More

Renowned Egyptian artists Mohammed and Effat Naghi’s works to be auctioned in Paris

Author: 

Tue, 2021-03-30 15:40

DUBAI: Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art auction in Paris is set to present works by two renowned Egyptian artists, Mohammed and Effat Naghi in April. 

Eleven artworks by the brother and sister duo will be part of the auction’s offering, with two being presented during a live sale on April 14, and nine to be included in the 20th century art online sale being held from April 7-19.

In 2014, Christie’s Dubai set a world auction record for Effat, for selling one of her portrait works painted in the early 1960s for $62,500. 

Her brother’s work also set an auction record in 2015 for “The Temple of Karnak,” painted in the 1930s, selling for $62,500 during Christie’s Dubai Middle Eastern Art auction. 

Valérie Didier, the associate director of Impressionist and Modern Art department, said in a released statement: “This is a major first for Christie’s Paris Impressionist and Modern Art Auction, presenting this important group of works by brother and sister Mohamed and Effat Naghi.”

Lot 180 - Effat Naghi - Composition. (Supplied)

“The auction will bring these pioneering Egyptian modern artists to the attention of our international collectors around the globe… These works are also highlighting the artistic and theoretical links between the Naghis and their friend, French artist André Lhote, who in the 1950s extensively worked closely with Effat in Egypt,” added Didier. 

Mohammed, an Egyptian diplomat, was a renowned painter. His travels and studies in Europe brought him to the core of the artistic and cultural revolutions of the early 20th century, which led him to found the “Atelier d’Alexandrie” in Alexandria in 1935. 

Mohammed was also Egypt’s delegate to the UNESCO Fine Arts Commission in London and Paris in 1946, and later settled in Italy from 1947 to 1950 where he took on the position as director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts in Rome. His work was presented twice at the Venice Biennale, in 1948 and later in 1954.

Whilst Mohammed’s style combined Western aesthetics with Egypt’s rich ancient cultural heritage, Effat’s work was at first very figurative with colorful rural landscapes of Egypt. 

She was then inspired by the local archaeological and folk artefacts, which often appear in her works, but also by astrology. 

Although much younger than her brother, Effat was one of the leading female figures of Egypt’s modern art scene in the 1950s-1970s. Integrating a wide variety of materials, antique painted wood, and magic amulets, Effat produced densely textured and colorful pieces resonating the primitivist aesthetics rooted in Egypt during the 1920s.

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Art & Culture

Tags: 

Mohammed Naghi

Effat Naghi

Christie’s

Paris

https://ift.tt/3cAE9Mf March 30, 2021 at 01:53PM

Read More

Zawyeh Gallery brings taste of Palestinian creativity to Art Dubai

Tue, 2021-03-30 14:49

DUBAI: Art Dubai will be staged until Saturday with exhibits by a number of galleries from around the world.

Among the international showcases is Zawyeh Gallery, a Palestinian art hub that promotes emerging and established artists – from Palestine and the diaspora – through various thematic exhibitions at home and aboard.

The gallery’s director, Ziad Anani, told Arab News that this was the first year since its participation began in 2016 that the foundation had featured artworks by multiple creatives at Art Dubai.

Ruba Salameh, “Acrylic on Linen,” 2020. (Supplied)

“Most of our previous participants were solo exhibitions, except for 2018 when we had a joint exhibition. This time we are having a collective for three young artists. We have two emerging artists that we never exhibited for in Art Dubai,” he said. 

The visual artists are Bashar Alhroub, who previously exhibited at Art Dubai, Ruba Salameh, who did a solo exhibition at the gallery’s newly opened location in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue, and Yazan Abu Salameh, who will be displaying for the first time in the UAE.

On the Palestinian art scene, Anani, who recently moved to the UAE after being in Palestine for 34 years, added: “The art market is very weak. We barely have collectors inside Palestine.

Bashar Alhroub, “My Son’s World,” 2021. (Supplied)

“From the artists that we work with, most of the work is political, most of it has to do with the occupation. It mostly has to do with the artists being separated from their families or being unable to travel.

“This makes the artists more isolated and makes them think creatively differently and produce work that can deliver specific messages about their situation as Palestinians under occupation. Their work might not be political directly, but conceptually definitely it has something to do with it.”

He pointed out that visitors were often not only impressed by the artists’ work but also connected with Palestine through the creatives.

Yazan Abusalameh, “The Master,” 2020. (Supplied)

“When we exhibit in Dubai, there is a large number of Palestinians that want to come to the gallery and get updates on the exhibitions and see more artworks, because maybe they are disconnected from their land. They are Palestinians, but they are living abroad.

“They ask a lot of questions about how the situation is going and how the artists are surviving, what they are working on,” Anani said.

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Art & Culture

Tags: 

Zawyeh Gallery

Ziad Anani

Palestine

https://ift.tt/3m6ANUj March 30, 2021 at 01:00PM

Read More

Palestinian author Adania Shibli longlisted for International Booker Prize 2021

Author: 

Tue, 2021-03-30 14:43

DUBAI: Judges of the 2021 International Booker Prize revealed on Tuesday the 13 novels longlisted for the prestigious award, and Palestinian author Adania Shibli has secured a spot on the list for her book “Minor Detail.” 

Told in two equal parts, both the same length but with different main characters who live in different eras, the award-winning writer’s book crafts a story that connects strangers to one another through the occupation that has shaped Palestinians’ lives. 

The novel begins in 1949, one year after the Nakba in which 700,000 Palestinians were displaced. A military operation is taking place in the Negev desert, south of Gaza along the Egyptian border, to secure the land and expel the Arabs.

Read Arab News’ full review on Palestinian author Adania Shibli’s “Minor Detail” here.  

The book was translated to English by Elisabeth Jaquette. 

The International Booker Prize is awarded every year for a single book that is translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. 

According to a released statement, “it aims to encourage more publishing and reading of quality works of imagination from all over the world, and to give greater recognition to the role of translators.”

The contribution of both author and translator is given equal recognition, with the prize of around $68,800 split evenly between them. Each shortlisted author and translator also receives around $1,300 bringing the total value of the prize to around $70,100.

The winner will be announced on June 2. 

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Art & Culture

books

Tags: 

International Booker Prize 2021

https://ift.tt/3rvolOY March 30, 2021 at 12:45PM

Read More

Arab Fashion Week: Day two highlights include smart streetwear, lockdown-inspired lines

Author: 

Tue, 2021-03-30 14:24

DUBAI: Read on for the key points from the second day of Arab Fashion Week 2021.

Nohma Design

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by N O H M A -Alchemist Of Design (@nohma_design)

On Monday, creative platform Nohma Design, founded by Nohma Kaaki, presented its range of buildable, multi-use jewelry during day two of Arab Fashion Week. Kaaki, who is an architect and designer, is renowned for developing “Celestial Module,” the world’s first multi-use, modular jewelry piece. She previewed the geometric design by way of a short fashion video that showcased all of the different ways the piece can be worn. 

 

Nirmooha

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia (@nirmooha)

Founded by Indian designer Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia, Nirmooha presented its latest collection “Caged Kaleidoscope.” Influenced by lockdown and the stresses of the past year, Nainutia drew inspiration from caged birds for the retro, 70s-style collection. Think feathers, hand-embroidered beads and bold prints.

Situationist

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by SITUATIONIST (@situationist_official)

Tblisi-born designer Irakli Rusadze presented the Fall 2021 collection for Situationist during the Arab Fashion Week schedule by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the official organization behind Paris Fashion Week. Titled “Forbidden Family,” the Georgia-based brand’s newest collection was unveiled via a six-minute long fashion video that transported viewers to snowy forests and worn, wooden inns. Largely genderless, the collection was punctuated with red knitwear, green tracksuits, leather trenchcoats and exceptionally tailored blazers.

 

Jean Charles Zakaria

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jean-Charles Zakaria (@jeancharleszakaria)

Lebanese designer Jean Charles Zakaria presented a collection titled “Vitality” during the second day of Arab Fashion Week. The offering comprised 12 evening gowns in a fiery color palette of red, orange and yellow. The designer worked with only the most luxurious fabrics for this collection, such as silk, chiffon and muslin. Meanwhile, delicate hand-embroideries added an element of haute couture throughout the collection. 

Sophia Nubes

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sophia Nubes Official (@sophia_nubes)

In 2017. Sophia Nubes applied to join the Arab Fashion Week in Dubai and has since become a fixture on the official calendar, presenting its latest collections during the annual fashion event. For its newest offering, the ready-to-wear brand churned out a Spring 2021 collection that was equal parts smart and streetwear. There were sharp blazers, flowy trousers and tailored pencil skirts alongside pleated crop tops, logo t-shirts and embellished denim trousers.

 

Main category: 

Lifestyle

Fashion

Tags: 

Arab Fashion Week 2021

https://ift.tt/3fvjfjk March 30, 2021 at 12:28PM

Read More