The international media has been using the term “Arab Spring” to describe the political upheaval in this region. But Syrian artist Muteea Murad makes a defiant stand against this association of spring with violence and negativity in his latest exhibition “A Date with Spring”.
Murad’s abstract paintings, composed of bands of bright colours, are infused with a sense of serenity and the joy of the blossoming of new life in the spring season. Although the situation in his country has forced the artist to move from Damascus to Cairo, he does not express his anger or sorrow in his paintings. Instead he explores the healing power of art to create visual antidotes to the turmoil all around him.
“Today, the state of our Arab world is heartbreaking and mind-shattering. And I have no words to express the situation in my country. But rather than succumbing to depression, I am trying to use my art to heal my soul. I am thankful to God that I can imagine images and ideas about beauty that help me to go on.
“I take inspiration and strength from simple things such as the birds chirping outside my window, the new shoots and blossoms on the trees in my garden, my wife’s patience, my children playing happily, and the smiles of my parents as well as my yearning for all that is beautiful in my country and my loved ones back home,” the artist says. “In recent years I have moved away from the black and grey palette and painful, emotionally draining compositions of my early days because I realised that the message an artist conveys to humanity can change reality towards a better future, and have a positive impact on people’s souls.
“So, I began to search for love, goodness and joy and tried to create a positive impact on viewers by presenting nice moments and memories. It would be easy to go back to the dark monotone portraits of that time to convey the misery and burdens of this day and age. But I want to challenge myself to create paintings that bring joy and happiness,” he added.
The paintings in this series are inspired by various sights, sounds, moments and memories. “Vision in a Blue Dream” recalls memories of the heavy metal concerts Murad enjoyed in his youth; and “When Spring Blooms” and “A date with Spring” capture the fresh greens and burst of colours in nature during spring.
A set of canvases, “Eastern Lines”, represents the beautiful handcrafted rugs from this region. And “Moments from Childhood” recreates a game he played at school with his best friend.
The artist likes to constantly explore and experiment with new ideas and ways of expression, and hence all his artworks are called “Trials”.
“In earlier ‘Trials’, I used complex mathematical calculations to create precise geometrical structures and carefully chose the colours to create harmony. But this series is simple, spontaneous and straight from the heart. I was just trying to find some balance in my life by using happy, soothing colours and fluid lines, and by living in the moment. My aim is simply to spread happiness and to counter all the negativity around us with some positive energy,” he says.
The show will run at Ayyam gallery, DIFC, until December 5.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.
Quoz Arts Festival
Dubai residents have a unique opportunity to discover the local art scene at the Quoz Arts Festival, to be held on November 23, from 10am to 10pm, across 32 art spaces in the Al Quoz area.
The festival will feature more than 40 art events, including the creation of public murals by local artists; fashion, music, dance, and theatre performances at The cARTel, The Fridge and The Courtyard Playhouse; art and theatre workshops for adults, children and families; and screening of two films by the Dubai International Film Festival.
Openings of many new art exhibitions have been scheduled for the evening and visitors can enjoy guided tours by gallery directors and talks by artists. Free shuttle services will run throughout the day between the participating spaces and catering services have been arranged.
The festival, which was launched last year with the aim of activating this fast-growing art quarter of Dubai, is organised by Alserkal Avenue and ArtintheCity in partnership with Emirates NBD.
Alserkal Avenue is also launching a new community project space called A4 Pop-up Space, featuring a cultural bookstore by Art Dubai in partnership with Jashanmal Bookstores. The new space will host a Campus Art Dubai event, featuring a discussion on “Indie Print Publishing in the UAE” by a panel of well-known editors.
“Art brings the community together and this festival is a community initiative. We want to invite people to get together, exchange ideas and opinions, ask questions, and learn more about the vibrant arts scene of Dubai,” says Abdulmonem Bin Eisa Al Serkal, developer of Alserkal Avenue.
For detailed programme go to www.quozhappens.com ; www.alserkalavenue.ae or www.artinthecity.com
On Al Moulid
An exploration of the unique Egyptian cultural phenomenon of “Al Moulid” is the theme of a group exhibition opening tomorrow (November 23) at Gallery Ward in Al Quoz.
“Al Moulid” is an event that commemorates the birth of a Sufi saint, and the celebrations are marked by unique rituals that bring together people of all ages to create a carnival-like atmosphere. The gallery has commissioned several established and emerging, contemporary Egyptian artists to express their personal interpretation of this traditional event through paintings, sculptures, digital photomontages and video art.
The gallery will also host cultural activities inspired by the traditional “Al Moulid” celebrations in Egypt throughout the day as part of the Quoz Arts Festival. The programme for the day begins with an art workshop for children where they will recreate aspects of a “Moulid” using various media on paper.
There will be a bilingual guided tour of the exhibition at 7pm to familiarise visitors with the concept of “Al Moulid”, followed by a performance of “Tanoura”, the traditional whirling dance.
“Al Moulid” will run at Gallery Ward, Al Quoz, from November 23, 2013 to January 8, 2014.
