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| Source: Sharjah Museums Department. VIPs view exhibits at Lasting Impressions: Abdul Karim Al Sayed. The exhibition was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Chairman of Sharjah Sports Council. The ceremony was attended by HE Abdallah Al Owais, President of the Department of Culture and Information, HE Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, Rihab Saidam, the late artist’s wife, and Alya Al Mulla, Curator of Sharjah Art Museum. |
Sharjah Art Museum has opened an exhibition that honours the lifetime career of Dr Abdul Karim Al Sayed (1945-2015), one of Palestine's and Sharjah’s most celebrated artists. Al Sayed played a prominent role in the development of the UAE’s art scene from the 1970s onwards as an artist, published author and art critic.
Lasting Impressions: Abdul Karim Al Sayed features over 92 pieces that represent the long and varied artistic practice of Al Sayed before his passing last year. The exhibition, which runs until December 17, provides a comprehensive insight into the different phases of Al Sayed’s artistic practice. Visitors will be able to appreciate the diversity of techniques and artistic moods of one of the most unique and distinguished artists of the region, as well as take a step into life in Sharjah decades ago.
Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, said: “We are very proud to present an exhibition that has great significance for art enthusiasts in the UAE. Dr Abdul Karim Al Sayed was a prominent figure in the local art scene for many decades as an artist, a writer, a critic and driving force behind several important art institutions that flourish to this day.”
Lasting Impressions: Abdul Karim Al Sayed is a collaboration between Sharjah Museums Department and the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, with the support of the Emirates Fine Arts Society. The exhibition is divided into sections, each focusing on a different phase of Al Sayed’s artistic practice. The pieces vary from brooding interpretations of the Intifada uprising against the Israeli occupation of his Palestinian homeland, to elegant landscapes of life in Sharjah, and heartfelt portraits of his wife.
The first section displays sketches - often made on prescription papers - that connect his profession as a doctor and his lifelong engagement with artistic practice from the early 1970s. Dr Al Sayed graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Baghdad in 1973 and went on to obtain a Radiology Diploma from the University of Vienna in 1982.
The focus in the 1980s turns to his interpretations of the Intifada uprising against the Israeli occupation of his Palestinian homeland, as well as the wider Palestinian political and social cause. It was a period that witnessed the development of his trademark technique of using a palette knife to create bright flashes of light that contrasted sharply with dark backgrounds. During this time, he also explored subjects that are rooted in the human condition.
While continuing to be committed to the Palestinian cause, Dr Al Sayed favoured lighter colour tones in the 1990s. Inspired by his Sharjah surroundings – a place he called his second home - the With Love to Sharjah series includes serene watercolour landscapes of old buildings and the coastline life. His focus on symbols, including the palm tree, was influenced by both Sharjah and his time in Iraq, where he studied at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Baghdad, in the 1970s.
He reflected on the politics of the Palestinian cause, from the Intifada to the peace agreements, through paintings entitled Gaza/Jericho. His series entitled Nature Metamorphosis was born from an attempt to seek relief from political struggles and disappointments. The series Outside the Square displays his shift from the dark colours of the 70s and 80s to a limited selection of lighter tones.
Palestinian Cities, which portrays peaceful scenes in cities including Gaza, Jericho, Akka, and Tabariya. Later in his artistic career, Dr Al Sayed worked for many years on his Sufi-inspired City of Dream collection. It shows Dr Al Sayad’s focus on lines as a key element, with white becoming the dominant colour. This phase was a representation of the political and social situation in the region in general and Palestine in specific, including the demolition of houses in occupied territories. The city scene shown in the paintings can be interpreted as gravestones and existence fading away.
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| Source: Sharjah Museums Department. |
Another section divides the decade into seven. Notable series include Rihab, My Love, a collection of portraits of his wife, artist Rihab Saidam. Spring of My Homeland is a continuation of City of Dream, but is a more hopeful portrayal of Palestine with greater use of colour and the poppy flower representing hope for the future. The series Falstenyat depicts the culture and heritage of his homeland.
“Our annual Lasting Impressions series celebrates artists who were influential in the development of art in the region. There are few more deserving of this spotlight than the work of Dr Abdul Karim Al Sayed,” said Ataya. “While Abdul Karim was influenced by various artistic movements, he was an artist who developed his own unique style. I am positive that art enthusiasts will appreciate the diversity of his artworks.”
Al Sayed held his first solo exhibition at the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah in 1987 and went on to become a founding member of both the Emirates Fine Arts Society and Al Jidar Group. He was also a jury member at many local and Arab events and the writer of numerous art analysis essays and critiques for magazines and newspapers, as well as the author of four books on the UAE art scene.
The previous Lasting Impressions exhibition focused on the work of the Egyptian artist George Bahgory. Running from November to December last year, it included more than 90 works, some dating back to the 1950s, when Bahgory was a student.
Interested?
Lasting Impressions: Abdul Karim Al Sayed runs till December 17, 2016