His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, yesterday opened the Centennial Fine Art Exhibition featuring 230 paintings by Arab artists of the past 100 years.
They are on display at the Sharjah Art Museum. The exhibition is the 100th at the venue and is entitled "100-years of Arabic Plastic Art 1900-2000."

The show, which will be open until November 30, is run by the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information as part of an event called "100 per cent art". The paintings were specially brought from the Arab Museum of Modern Arts in Qatar. They are from the collection of Sheikh Hasan bin Mohammed Al Thani, founder of the Arab Museum of Modern Arts which contains more than 7,000 works.

Sheikh Issam bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, said that the show was unique as it depicted much that would help understanding of the historical and cultural scene in the Arab world in the past century. The oldest painting on display is dated 1890.

The exhibition contains the works of pioneer Arab artists. It highlights the continuity of art work in the Arab world and also shows the development of various schools of fine art in the region.
Over 25 art critics and artists from the Arab world have been invited to the exhibition. The DCI said it will issue a special periodical on Arab art during the exhibition.

A DCI spokesman said that the department was arranging the centennial celebrations to recognise Arab artists and their achievements. "The exhibition shows the fraternal relations among the countries of the Arab world," he said.

The five-day celebrations marking the museum's 100th exhibition will also feature several small exhibitions, workshops and seminars. A seminar on "A Hundred Years of Arab Plastic Art" will be held today at the Sharjah Art Square. Another seminar on "A Hundred Exhibitions at the Sharjah Art Museum" will be held on November 28.