Artistic concept

Moroccan artist exhibits artful sensitivity of the gutra

For those who are interested in art depicting the culture and styles of this region, a visit to Gutras of the Gulf, an exhibition of paintings by Amina Rizk El Haskouri, is a must.

Born in Morocco, El Haskouri gained a degree in Fine Arts from the U.S. where she worked as a designer. Returning to Morocco she worked with architectural firms and then travelled to Abu Dhabi 14 years ago where she took time out to have a family.

Although busy with two daughters she started drawing. "I didn't want my hand to fall asleep," she laughs. Drawing was a pastime.''

A pastime it may have been but the work was of sufficiently high standard in 1997 for El Haskouri to hold an exhibition at the Cultural Foundation, entitled Colours and Faces of the Emirates and Morocco.

"People asked when I was doing another exhibition, but I felt I had not yet found my niche," she adds.

"That first exhibition was mainly studies of women, in veils and bejewelled. I wanted to show the links and friendship between Morocco and the UAE. But people wanted to know why I had not included men. This set me thinking about what to do next. I wanted to do something representative of the Gulf, but different from the usual falcons, horses and camels.''

Finally, El Haskouri's attention was caught by the gutra. "Originally meaning 'material', the gutra is the dominant head dress in the Gulf, expressing the identity of an area, the belonging to a region, tribe, age or even social group,'' she explains.

"The different wraps of the gutra could show the character or social status of the user; it can be used for specific occasions such as a hunt or a wedding. I wanted something that had not been done before: An artistic concept of the gutra.''

The result is 19 beautiful pictures of this head dress. No dishdasha, no body, no face to distract the eye from the clear lines of the painted gutra.

In watercolour and gouache, El Haskouri's brush has depicted the folds of cloth and the stylised drape over invisible shoulders. The styles of the young, the regal bearing of a ruler, a group at a dance, all are on display in red, white, gold, black, brown and blue.

"Today the gutra has taken on more style and elegance than in the past, when it was purely protection from the sun and wind of the desert. Now it is an expression of individual masculine style.

More colours are available enabling the gutra to have an artistic sensitivity which can define the mood or feeling of the wearer. It also has an aesthetic side, enhancing the features of the man. It gives him pride, elegance and dignity,'' explains the artist.

Gutras in the Gulf is on in the recently-opened Eclectic Gallery (mezzanine floor of the Patchi/Mashreq Bank building on Khalidiya Street) until March 11. Opening times are 10.00am to 1.00pm and 5.00pm to 9.00pm.