Spilling her art

It takes the right medium for someone to be able to think outside the box. At the University of Sharjah's Rewak - The Art Gallery, students have the chance to not only roam free with their thoughts, creating some of the best work among young artists, but also have the opportunity to interact with artists exhibiting at the gallery throughout the year.

The process is enriching both for the artist and the students.

Karee Dahl, an Australian of Norwegian and Swedish descent, worked as an artist in Australia and Southeast Asia before moving to the UAE over two years ago. Her experience spanning 20 years has often been challenging, especially after she entered the male-dominated world of sculpture.

Last week, Dahl held an exhibition at the university to display her work with textiles. She had worked cotton thread of various colours into many shapes, displaying them at the gallery.

Questioning the conventional way of knitting, she asked: "What if we forgot the ways of putting something together — what sort of things would it inspire?"

Dahl did not rely on stitching but rather used washable glue so that it did not affect the quality of the thread.

Learning experience

Students had a chance to ask Dahl about her work and learn a thing or two about organising art exhibitions.

"Because it takes place on campus, we feel approaching artists here is much easier. We don't have to worry or hesitate and we get the chance to learn how to display our work. It gives us ideas for the future," said Aliah Lootah, a fine arts student.

Taghrid Nasr, a Lebanese fourth-year fine arts student, said: "I liked the way the artist used to do charcoal paintings and from that moved to 3D artwork using the thread and the line. I also admire how she made her way in sculpture given that she is a woman."

Nasr had created a 3D project that focused on creating something in response to space.

"The staff and the way of teaching here is enlightening. Professors here focus on the intellectual aspect of art…. Being in this environment, interacting with colleagues, professors and artists helps us advance. It's very important that we stay up to date," Nasr added.

Lootah, an Emirati in her third year at university, said that being in this major is "excellent" because it gives her the freedom to work with a range of things: space, photography, illustrations, sculpture, print-making, etc. "I want to become an established artist based here," she said.

Many of the fine arts students expressed the same aspiration.

Dahl said art is flourishing in the UAE and this holds out promise for budding artists. "It's already happening here and will increase because art here is being exported…. When people say there is no culture here, I disagree with them because there has been civilisation here for centuries and it doesn't come without culture. The real question is how is it going to be for the few who are attracted to it?"

Although students hesitate to choose art as a major due to limited job options after graduation, they can actually create jobs for themselves, said Isak Berberic, lecturer in photography and multimedia at the University of Sharjah. "It's a new area of study here and students often can't see a defined set of industry practices when they graduate. Along with their parents, they feel that graphic design and other mediums are a safe bet," he added.