The Art Of Culture

Through outstanding artistic expression, Sophia Al Maria, Monira Al Qadiri and Farah Al Qasimi are making waves across the globe. Collectively the three Gulf born female artists explore themes based on their heritage and, through art they share their experiences of both growing up in the region and venturing abroad. Through the mediums of photography, film, installation art and sculpture, the Middle Eastern artists have created a wave of interest within the contemporary art world, spanning from the East, and breaking onto the shores of the western art market.

- Felicity Stokes

FARAH AL QASIMI

Farah Al Qasimi explores themes of belonging, cultural diversity and the unusual in her art. Born from an Emirati father and a LebaneseAmerican mother, Al Qasimi has spent time in both the UAE and the US. She initially enrolled to study music at Yale University, however during her studies she discovered photography and found she was able to express herself in new ways through this art medium. Al Qasimi’s photography has been exhibited in Europe, the US and the UAE. Her recent shows include, the first Biennial for Arab Photography at l’Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; Emirati Expressions at Manarat al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, two solo exhibitions at The Third Line, Dubai; The World is Sinking and Coming up Roses, a major commission at Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, and her first US solo exhibition at Helena Anrather, New York.

Al Qasimi’s approach to photography differs from the typical style of the medium. Her camera lens captures the unusual and enjoys challenging viewer’s expectations. Her 2017 commission at The Yard, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, It's Not Easy Being Seen, presents women who are invisible to the viewer. Her subjects are covered by bright, green material that hides their identities, through the concept of a ‘green screen’. The green screen suggests someone can project something onto them which will make them disappear. Al Qasimi interrupts the viewers search for the soul by masking not only the eyes but the faces and bodies of her subjects. The artist toys with the idea that the women in her art want to be taken seriously, but this is impossible when they are covered in a fabric that makes them invisible.