The International Watercolor Society UAE is celebrating its first anniversary with an exhibition of more than 100 watercolour paintings by UAE-based artists of all ages. The show titled “All for One, One for Art” opens at the Cartoon Art Gallery on Friday, November 4. The gallery will also host live painting demonstrations by well-known watercolourists on November 4 and 5.
The IWS was founded in 2012 by Turkish artist Atnanur Dogan with the aim of promoting this medium and developing the skills of watercolour artists through seminars, workshops and master classes conducted by leading artists, and providing artists with opportunities to showcase their work locally and internationally. It has more than 80 branches across the world.
The UAE chapter of IWS was founded in October 2015 by artist Mrinmay Sebastian. Under the umbrella of The Cartoon Art Gallery it conducts free workshops and plein air painting sessions for artists of all ages and skill levels throughout the year, and organises exhibitions and painting competitions.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, IWS UAE had organised the first national watercolour contest in the UAE, which was open to all artists based here. The winners were selected by a panel of well-known international and UAE-based watercolourists, and the winning entries along with other shortlisted paintings will be showcased at the exhibition.
The paintings are diverse in terms of theme, style and concept. John Paul A. Faderogao, winner of the first prize in the over 16 category, has painted a realistic figure of a man holding a chicken, leaving it to viewers to imagine the fate of the bird. Second prize winner Kenneth P. Gequillo’s painting speaks about his life in the UAE through a typical domestic scene of laundry drying on a clothes rack in a backyard; and the third prize winner Yamini Manala’s painting of boats on the creek has a spiritual feel.
The winner in the under 16 group is Namitha Philip’s painting of a serene rural landscape. The second and third prizes in this category went to Eva Joe, whose painting of two boys flying kites speaks about the simple joys of childhood, and Arwa Golwala for her painting of ducks in a pond. Abu Dhabi-based Arab artist Muneera won a special prize for her realistic, detailed painting of a falcon.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts-enthusiast based in Dubai.
“All for One, One for Art” will run at The Cartoon Art Gallery, Al Quoz, until November 9. For information on IWS UAE’s free watercolour workshops, contact iwsuae2015@gmail.com
