Sharjah: Aladdin Mahmoud
In the actual practice of the Emirati artist and researcher, Dr. Wadha Hamdan Al Gharibi, we explore drawings, formations, and amazing, charming visual worlds inhabited by beauty, brilliance, and a burst of bright colors that beautify life, and open a window of hope by proposing a different world that fills the human soul with love and peace.
The beginning of Wadha’s story with drawing and coloring goes back to childhood, and she says: “Since I was young, I used to draw and draw and paint, and I spend most of my time between sketchbooks and colors. I have loved drawing since childhood.”
This continuous practice of drawing gave Wadha many techniques and proficiency, at a later stage, as she achieved advanced positions in international competitions for the arts, which helped her to know the secrets of drawing and its hidden worlds, which greatly encouraged her to choose the university study that was compatible with her love and passion, so she studied Art, in which she obtained bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees, which confirms the great love that united Wadha and the art of drawing, to become a specialist and even a researcher in this creative field.
Life diary
Wadha’s artistic and aesthetic conscience is saturated with the views and scenes of daily life in reality and the vocabulary of the Emirati environment and elements of heritage. She believes that the Emirati heritage has a profound influence on the artist, as it is reflected in the inherited traditions of the social lifestyle such as folk arts, handicrafts, lifestyle, and the multiple facilities that embody the history of… The area includes castles, forts, mosques, fishing ports, markets, and others.
New experiences
Wadha did not limit her artistic experience to heritage, environment, and reality. Rather, she was introduced to many new experiences, and her outlook on art changed a lot, after she saw the paintings of great Arab artists, and the experiences of some of the pioneering Impressionist, Cubist, and abstract artists. She says about that important station in her life: “I began to experiment with limited attempts at modern art under the supervision of art professors. I also began to contemplate the paintings of first-generation painters from Egypt, Iraq, the Levant, and the Arab Maghreb. Art greatly influenced my personality. “Where I learned to be inspired by moral ideas and values, to promote positive thinking, and on the other hand to enhance my artistic and cognitive skills.” Wadha confirms that the international and local artistic scene is full of artists who have a clear imprint in art, and that each artist has his own imprint that distinguishes him from others, but she has been influenced by artistic trends. Modern art, and began to experiment with limited attempts in modern art under the supervision of art professors.
Posts
There are many important artistic milestones in Wadha’s life, perhaps the most notable of which is her participation in various events inside and outside the country. There is the second Al-Liwan Exhibition for Visual Arts held in Medina in 2019, in addition to exhibitions in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Sultanate of Oman, as these occasions allowed her to get to know others. It also represented forums for discussion of the arts and its ancient and contemporary trends.
Aesthetic diversity
Perhaps those who follow Wadha’s artistic and aesthetic experience will notice the great impact of the diversity of cultures and nationalities within the country, which is what she turned to artistically and greatly enriched her experience. She believes that the UAE is a model country in balanced cultural and cognitive coexistence on its land, in a climate of openness to human cultures, in both its contemporary and heritage dimensions. The concepts of contemporary Emirati art have changed as a result of contact with the international art movement, as the Emirati environment provides good conditions for creating coexistence and fruitful artistic cultural exchange.
She says: “I noticed the influence of the Emirati heritage and environment in most of the works of contemporary Emirati artists and the influential sources and many artistic experiences that their works contain. The Emirati artist used social symbols that are universal, as the works of contemporary Emirati creators contain an aesthetic philosophy linked to the nature of traditional life in the Emirates.” My artistic works are always linked to Emirati heritage and the heritage elements it contains, and are influenced by modern artistic trends.
Research: Perhaps the issue of diversity and multiculturalism in the country did not seep into the artist’s paintings and compositions only, but rather she addressed this in a research manner, and this is evident through the publication of her book by the Department of Culture in Sharjah entitled: “Cultural Diversity in the Contemporary Emirati Art Scene.” The book monitors the experiences Art in the country through this diversity and its impact. The artist believes that the Emirates is a model of balanced cultural and cognitive coexistence between citizens and residents on its land.
