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.