Wild Garden, a month-long exhibition curated by Morteza Zahedi, displays the very interesting works of three artists at the XVA Gallery, part of the XVA Art Hotel at the Bastakiya. I had a look around at the vernissage on April 19th.
Salim Karami's drawings stand out for the color combinations and the way the artist fills the paper space with the floral forms. The thickly-packed lines of colored pen on paper result in a texture that resembles embroidery from a distance, and the thin white spaces left between the strokes give the trunks and branches a flowing, growing, organic look.
The bird motif appears frequently in Hasan Hazer Moshar's mixed media sculptural array. The small figurines of humans standing erect, birds (especially owls), and human-bird creatures bring to mind ancient Greek statuary of palladia, Athena iconography, and harpies.
Davood Koochaki's penciled figures stare hypnotically out from the cards, appearing bestially hirsute and muscled thanks to the coarse line fill, like a draft of a Studio Ghibli character.
On till May 22nd
The Jonathan Gent painting exhibition, Gentle, is on display at the XVA Gallery (now contiguous with the XVA Art Hotel) until the end of next month. I dropped by the Bastakiya al Al Fahidi this weekend to have a look (and to watch a film that did not end up screening, but there was some good vegetarian food at the cafe to compensate).
The subject matter is drawn from the artist's experiences as a visitor in the region -- and especially in Dubai -- about 5 years ago. Those of us who live here will recognize much of the imagery depicted in his mental snapshots and impressions from his exploration of the city. Some of these have been reduced to the barest elements, while some have been fleshed out in further detail and color (while yet retaining a minimal style).
The works have been painted on raw wood veneer, lending them a unique texture. This is especially evident in the more drawing-like ones; the lines on the boards are interrupted and pushed out by the wood grain over which they are painted.
Check it out!
