Exhibition visit. Brides of Photography.

80 BRIDES OF PHOTOGRAPHY.

The Shangri La in Muscat and the Bait Al Zubair Foundation put together a group exhibition showing the work of 80 top Omani female photographers.  The 80 females are members of the fine Art Society here in Oman.  This was the second exhibition, the first being last year.  The 90 pieces of work highlights the talented photographers, with images of landscapes, portraiture, still life, narrative and emotion.  Much of the work was in black and white and mostly printed onto canvas which is very popular here in Oman.
The pieces of work are for sale and there were several gaps in the exhibition space due to a sale or two of certain pieces...This is encouraging for the young photographers, to know that their work is marketable.
I support the Fine Art Society in any way that I am able, attending each of their exhibitions in which ever medium they choose to exhibit.
There is so much encouragement to develop the artistic skills and talents of Omani women today, several years ago this exhibition would never have been possible, the culture is changing gradually for the better.  Women are now being encouraged to be individuals and the barriers are coming down..  Photography and art is now encouraged and the professionals are so willing to share there skills to those learning and developing.

Omani Photographic Achievments

I had the pleasure of being invited to this exhibition on the opening night and was delighted to be given a copy of a book as a commemorative keepsake of the exhibition.  Within the cover are the photographs on display, winners of international awards worldwide from photographic competitions organised by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP)
The prize winning photographs show the photographers interaction with life, scenes from nature and Omani culture.

Crossroads 4. Diversified Union at Yas Viceroy Hotel, Abu Dhabi

Open till the end of March and on display in the Light Box, Marina wing lobby of the Viceroy Hotel, Yas Island.
Stayed here over the weekend and was delighted to be able to see the works of 8 local artists from the UAE.

This was a joint venture between Swiss Art Gate UAE and Emirati artists.  I saw an incredible amount of talent showcased here, all showing creativity through various mediums, oils and acrylics, mixed Mediums, textiles and sculpture.  Each piece highlighting the artists strong links to their heritage and culture.  Sadly there was no catalogue to be had, there is a link to Swiss Art Gate, UAE.
It was the work with the textiles that I admired most, collages using numerous vibrantly coloured fabrics, silks, satins, natural fabrics and wools, alongside jewelled embellishments, placed lovingly on a neutral background to enhance the vibrancy of the fabrics. This work was created by a male artist Khalid Al Banna.  'stunningly beautiful'
 Swiss Art Gate, UAE