Emirati artist Aliah Rashid Al Shamsi’s first solo show, titled “Moments in Time”, is about memorable moments on a special day. The show features a series of photographs of a bride on her wedding day. But rather than focusing on external elements, Al Shamsi has tried to capture the thoughts and feelings of the bride as she prepares for her big day. The artist has combined memories of her own wedding with staged photographs to create an emotional visual story that every woman can relate to.
“I got married two years ago at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC. When the hotel invited me to collaborate for an art project with a bridal theme, I took inspiration from my own wedding. But my aim was to capture those simple, intangible elements that are often overlooked when we reflect on a wedding.
“I have always been fascinated by the way art can be used to capture a moment that you can never go back to. So I set out to create artworks that captured moments in time in a chronological study of the 48 hours surrounding a wedding. I wanted to depict the exciting, anxious, funny and bittersweet moments a bride experiences on that special day. And I felt that photography would be the best medium to achieve that. I love vintage fashion photography, especially from the 1930s to the 1970s, so I have tried to create a similar aesthetic in my pictures,” Al Shamsi says.
The 15 photographs in the show were staged in the hotel’s bridal suite with a model. But Al Shamsi has marked each image with a specific time to create a chronological narrative. The story begins with the traditional henna party, when the bride’s hands are adorned with henna. “I have tried to create a sense of the laughter of the bride’s family and friends who are around her,” Al Shamsi says.
The story then moves to the wedding day, beginning with the moment when she wakes up in her suite at the hotel. A bouquet of peonies in the picture conveys the lovely scent that pervades the room, and the sunlight streaming in through the windows creates a feeling of warmth and happiness.
Later, she is seen in a pensive mood as she sits by the window, sipping her coffee, perhaps reminiscing about her childhood and contemplating the new journey she is embarking on.
The image taken at 10.52am, focuses on the table, where her chosen lipstick for the evening, her wedding band, and her wedding card are laid out. And at 1.30pm she chats with her friends on the phone, while getting her hair done.
Some of the photographs are presented as diptychs, such as one taken when she is ready and looking at herself in the mirror, while her mother clasps her necklace. “A wedding is an occasion to share with your loved ones. In this picture I wanted to evoke the feeling of the touch of her mother’s hand on her back, and the sound of her sisters chatting in the background as they prepare for the evening ahead,” Al Shamsi says.
The artist’s favourite picture is the one taken at 4.11pm. “I love this one because it is so much like the pictures you would see in Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar in the 1930s, with the focus on the wedding gown and the femininity of the tulle. I deliberately hid her face so that every woman can identify with the picture,” Al Shamsi says.
The image at 8.15pm captures the moment when the hairdresser pins the delicate veil, and the bride takes a deep breath and waits calmly for her guests to arrive. At 10.12pm, she takes a last look in the mirror, before stepping out. Finally at 11.01pm, the groom lifts her veil, his presence indicated by a glimpse of his “bisht” and the coy, loving look in the eyes of the bride. The long day ends with the cutting of the cake to mark the beginning of a new phase in her life.
“Although I drew on memories of my wedding to conceive these images, this show is not about my personal story. I hope every woman can connect with it, either through memories of her own wedding or that of a sister, daughter or friend,” Al Shamsi says.
Lothar Quarz, general manager, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC says, “The Ritz-Carlton is dedicated to providing memorable experiences for our guests, so hosting a show inspired by one of our weddings is a huge honour for us.”
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.
“Moments in Time” will run at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC until November 30.
