A group exhibition by visual artists and producers of social media video content
- 25 visual artists
- 10 video content producers
- Opening: 15 - 9 - 2020
- Closing: 4 - 12 - 2020
2020
Video
How can love exist between animosity and hatred? Maheerah was a beautiful woman and the man who fell in love with her was overwhelmed by love of ownership. He ruined the life of this innocent woman, who was just born beautiful. We know that the end of love is not always hearts and roses, so how can a love which never began then come to an end?
Exhibition Theme:
Maheerah exhibition brings together 35 visual artists and short films producers from the United Arab Emirates to showcase a theme associated with the work and career of renowned Emirati artist Abdul Raheem Salem.
The title of the exhibition, Maheerah, is inspired by the story of a real character - a young girl who lived in the Emirate of Sharjah - that became a folk tale. Heard her story from his grandmother, the character influenced Salem’s artistic beginnings and continued to feature in much of his later work.
In this exhibition, video producers will bring the Maheerah character to life in a series of short films while visual artists will embody the character in oil, water and acrylic portraits on canvasses measuring 1.5 x 2.5 metres.
Salem’s passion for art began at an early age, and he went on to hone his talents through experience, practice and academic study to reach his current prominence on the Emirati arts scene.
Over time, his personal initiatives evolved from the creation of the first academic curricula to teaching drawing in schools. He is renowned for coaching students in such a way that provides them with a structured foundation that channels their artistic creativity and energies.
Salem developed his own artistic style that sets him apart from other artists, particularly with regards to the subjects he tackled such as the character of Maheerah.
Emirati heritage and traditional stories and old rooted Emirati tales are a vital source of inspiration for his paintings and the driving force behind his passion. Salem recalls how he heard his grandmother tell the Maheerah tale by chance. The story tells of a beautiful young girl who lived in a neighbourhood of Sharjah during the 1950s. One day, a man proposed to her, but she rejected him. Seeking vengeance, the man set about to cast a spell on her that would rob her of her beauty and make her an outcast. Not satisfied with simply stripping her of her humanity, people around her began to view her as an evil that must be avoided.
The story left a deep impression on Salem. He empathised with the girl and what became of her, eventually developing a deep affinity for her. He began to imagine what she may have looked like and painted a variety of his visions of her. This started in the 1990s and continues to this day.
Salem was inspired by Maheerah’s character and, through his art, he tells us the story of the suffering and the injustice that befell her.
His art endeavours to express the surreal magic he detected in this long-ago story that became a central theme in most of his artistic work.
Salem’s art expresses his deep personal attachment to and artistic perspective of Maheerah, which has been his catalyst to reach for new heights of creativity.
His works on the theme of Maheerah have won him widespread recognition and numerous awards, confirming to him that he was on the right path.
He did not merely symbolise Maheerah as a physical entity, but celebrates her story and uses it to imbue his work with a living, breathing soul.
Salem’s art expresses this philosophical dimension through its immense energy. It prompts us to evolve from mere observers to actively think about the subject of the paintings and the realm of imagination and emotions.
