The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Washington D.C., in collaboration with the 2015 LA Art Show - presents a special exhibition at this year’s show - Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates. Organized by the Embassy and the Meridian International Center, this groundbreaking cultural diplomacy program brings Emirati artwork and artists to the United States. The installation tells the story of the UAE’s rich history, culture and rapid development through the works of 13 notable Emirati artists. Past Forward represents the first major touring exhibition of Emirati art in the world, and will be on view in Los Angeles as part of the exhibition’s tour around the US through 2016.

The 5,000 square-foot exhibition space at the LA ART SHOW 2015 is designed to highlight Emirati culture through a selection of artworks and a Majlis – an Arabic term which means a “place of sitting” that is often used to encourage conversation and an

exchange of ideas. The exhibition

space features 13 Emirati artworks

and is covered by a contemporary

Arabian tent that will host

conversations about Emirati culture

and the UAE’s vibrant art scene. ,

The main exhibition area highlights

the influence of culture and change

on cotemporary Emirati art. Flanking

this area are photographs, video,

and sculpture from the UAE, each of

which feature some of the country’s

talented artists.

Main Exhibition

The United Arab Emirates has a

growing, vibrant art scene that

is flourishing today as the UAE

becomes an international destination

for art and culture. The UAE is home

to a number of world-renowned

events, like the Sharjah Biennial,

Art Dubai, and Abu Dhabi Art. The

UAE’s homegrown art movement

is complimented by an array of

museums and galleries – ranging

from over 20 museums in Sharjah, to

P R E S E n T S

Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates

Ebtisam abdulaziz is a multi-disciplinary artist and writer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics from the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain. Since 2001, her video performances, photography, and paintings have

been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Bonn, Dubai, new York, Paris, and Tokyo. She participated in the inaugural UAE and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage Pavilions at the 53rd Venice Biennale, as well as in the 7th Sharjah Biennial. AbdulAziz has also worked for Al Tashkeel magazine since 2000 and contributes art reviews to other publications. She belongs to several associations, including the Emirates Fine Arts Society, Dubai Youth Theatre, and Art Atelier. Born and raised in Sharjah, AbdulAziz works out of her studio near the Sharjah Art Museum.

Dubai’s burgeoning galleries, to Abu Dhabi’s signature Saadiyat Cultural District, which will host branches of the Guggenheim Museum and the Louvre, as well as the Sheikh Zayed national Museum and a world-class performing arts center. Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates includes artworks that feature core elements of Emirati life and represent all seven emirates. It features artists who draw inspiration from their nation’s history, society, environment and architecture. While the overarching theme highlights the balance between moving forward as a nation and holding onto traditional roots, several other motifs emerge as well. These include an emphasis

on kinship and home, nature and landscape, and technology and innovation. While immersed in a fast-moving, transitional space continually being updated with the latest technology and modern architecture, Emirati artists remain deeply connected to their traditions.

These paintings, photographs, sculptures and other media reflect how the UAE has embraced rapid economic development over the past forty years, while simultaneously maintaining its rich heritage. The artists and artwork represented in this exhibition characterize the past, present, and future of this dynamic nation.

Ebtisam abdulaziz, b. 1975Autobiography, 2007

Video

Shamma al amri received a master’s degree in culture and creative industries, and a bachelor’s degree in art and design from Zayed University where she was part of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Young Leaders Program. Known for her diverse use of media, she has participated in a number of local and international exhibitions, including the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Al Amri co-founded The nomad Box Project, which presented contemporary local arts to the public in a renovated shipping container that toured Dubai. She also belongs to the Five Art Beats collective, which is located in a studio/gallery space in Dubai’s Bastakiya district. She is a current recipient of the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship, organized in partnership with the

Rhode Island School of Design. Al Amri lives and works in Dubai.

Shamma al amri, b. 1985Burj, 2010

Pinhole photograph, 40 x 30

ammar al attar obtained a master’s degree in international business from the University of Wollongong and a bachelor’s degree in business information technology from the

Higher Colleges of Technology, both in Dubai. He later enrolled in local and international photography courses to develop his artistic skills. Al Attar has exhibited throughout the UAE and abroad, including at the 2013 Sharjah Biennial and the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki in Greece. He was selected for the 2013 A.i.R. (Artist-in-Residence) Dubai Program – a partnership between Art Dubai, London’s Delfina Foundation, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and Tashkeel gallery. He is also a member of the Emirates Photography Society, Abu Dhabi International Photographic Society, and the Emirates Fine Arts Society. Al Attar currently lives and works in Ajman.

ammar al attar, b. 1981 Fish Market I, 2014Photograph, 32 x 48

Zeinab al hashemi completed her undergraduate studies in multimedia design at Zayed University’s College of Arts and Sciences in Dubai. She participated in the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority’s billboards initiative, and her work has been featured in Shanghai, as well as at the UAE’s Tashkeel gallery, Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, Maraya Art Centre, The Ara Gallery, and the Bastakiya district. In 2012, she participated in the A.i.R. (Artist-in-Residence) Dubai Program and Design Days Dubai, and in 2013 was part of the Sharjah Biennial. Al Hashemi created Dibs & Dips, the

first Emirati pop-art pastry catering company that prepares traditional sweets. She currently lives and works in Dubai.

Zeinab al hashemi, b. 1986Pearl Tale, 2010

Scanograph, 17 x 24

Farah al Qasimi was raised in both the United Arab Emirates and the United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Yale University with a concentration in analog and digital

photography. Al Qasimi participated in Campus Art Dubai in 2013 and held a summer residency at Burren College of Art in Ireland in 2011. She also won the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship, which is administered through a partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design. She has exhibited her work at numerous venues in Dubai, including the Cuadro Fine Art Gallery, SIKKA Art Fair, and The Pavilion. Al Qasimi currently teaches photography at the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai. She lives and works in Dubai.

Farah al Qasimi, b. 1991Ice Cream Truck (Digdaga, Ras Al Khaimah),

2014, Photograph, 20 x 24

hamdan buti al Shamsi is a self-taught photographer, graphic designer, and writer. He has participated in a number of group exhibitions around the United Arab Emirates, including in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States. Recently, Al Shamsi received the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship, which is organized in partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design. He also teaches courses in photography with the Abu Dhabi Educational Council and digital college workshops at FUnn: Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children. Al Shamsi currently lives and works in Al Ain.

hamdan buti al Shamsi, b. 1981Moments of the Oasis, 2014

Mixed media, 32 x 22.5

Maitha al Mehairbi– a writer, cultural consultant, and visual artist- works primarily in film and mixed media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and media science from Zayed University in Dubai. A

number of venues have featured her documentaries, films, and media artworks, including Abu Dhabi Art 2012, Sheikha Salam “Art for All” Community Pavilion, Qasr Al Hosn Festival, Tashkeel gallery, Anasy Documentary Awards, and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage. Al Mehairbi has previously worked for twofour54, the Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority. She has contributed writing and photography to the national’s multimedia segment and Al Boom magazine. Al Mehairbi lives and works in Abu Dhabi.

Maitha al Mehairbi, b. 1988Untitled, 2013

Video

Maitha Demithan holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Zayed University in Dubai. Her work combines several mediums, including photography, scanography, painting, drawing, and photo transfers. As a child, she sketched her first drawings in the sand. This pastime formed her early appreciation for color, texture, line, and shadow. In her notable 2009 exhibition entitled Documentation at Tashkeel gallery, Demithan presented her scanned self-portraits for the first time. She also participated in Across the Gulf, a group show that was part of the ARC Biennial of Art in Brisbane, Australia, as well as Emerge in the Venice Biennale, Emirati Vision

in Berlin, and the UAE Pavilion’s Biladi during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. She has since exhibited in China, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and the United States. Demithan works and resides in Dubai.

Maitha Demithan, b. 1989Ajyal (Generations), 2012Scanograph, 54.25 x 64.5

alaa Edris is a visual artist who holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Fine Arts & Design at the University of Sharjah, with a concentration in

electronic media. Her work takes distinct forms between video installations, photography, and projections onto three-dimensional surfaces. She is known for conducting extensive research for her projects to explore social issues, semiotics, and tradition in contemporary Emirati culture. Edris has exhibited in the United Arab Emirates and abroad, including in Bangladesh, England, and Italy. In 2011, Maraya Art Centre commissioned Edris to create a site-specific installation throughout the Al Qasba district as part of the Sharjah Biennial, as well as for London’s 2013 Moving Image contemporary video art fair. She currently lives and works in Sharjah.

alaa Edris, b. 1986Kharareef – Fables from the Trucial States

2011, Video

Lamya Gargash graduated from the American University in Sharjah in 2004 and then received her master’s degree in communication design from Central Saint Martins in London in 2007. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions in Canada, France, Japan, the netherlands, and Switzerland, as well as within the UAE. Throughout her career, she has garnered numerous awards for her work in film and photography, including first prize at the 2004 Emirates Film Festival and an Ibda’a Special Jury Award for her film Wet Tiles. Most notably, Gargash participated in the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 as the featured

artist of her country’s first-ever national Pavilion. She currently lives and works in Dubai.

Lamya Gargash, b. 1982Red Television, Majlis series, 2009

Photograph, 23.5 x 23.5

Lateefa bint Maktoum received her bachelor’s degree in visual arts from Zayed University in 2007. She is the founder and director of Tashkeel, a public studio complex that provides

state-of-the-art facilities for artists and designers living and working in the United Arab Emirates. Since 2008, bint Maktoum has shown her digital photography and films internationally, including at exhibitions in Australia, China, Italy, and the United States, among others. She has received several accolades, such as the Ibda’a Media Student Award for digital photography and the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Award. Her work can be found in private and public collections worldwide. Bint Maktoum currently lives and works in Dubai.

Lateefa bint Maktoum, b. 1985The Last Look, 2009

Photograph, 39.25 x 59

Khalid Mezaina is an independent graphic designer, illustrator, and artist. He graduated from the American University of Sharjah with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication and entered the art world with full-time positions in cultural organizations, including the Sharjah Art Foundation and Tashkeel. Working in creative communities inspired Mezaina to participate in group exhibitions, projects, and residencies, both in the United Arab Emirates and abroad. In 2010 he launched Krossbreed, an independent, interdisciplinary studio and product design brand. Krossbreed products – such as clothing, prints, stationery, wallpaper,

furniture, and more – combine contemporary, culturally infused designs with an unconventional flare. Mezaina lives and works in Dubai.

Khalid Mezaina, b. 1985Wind Towers, 2010

Serigraph, 24 x 16.25

Mattar bin Lahej is a self-taught artist – a painter, sculptor, and photographer. He has nurtured his artistic talents and enhanced

the quality of his work through continuous training, fieldwork, and experimentation. Bin Lahej has been recognized in recent years for his participation in exhibitions both locally and abroad, including in Germany, Kuwait, Morocco, Turkey, and the United States. Private collections throughout the Gulf region hold his work, which has also been featured in Bonhams auctions. In addition to creating his own art, he organizes and manages annual summer camps at his gallery, MarsamMattar, to foster young talent. Bin Lahej oversees workshops throughout the Emirates and coordinates numerous exhibitions in his gallery and at other locations. He lives and works in Dubai.

Mattar bin Lahej, b. 1968Folded proverbs

Sculpture140 x 100 x 100

The people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) preserve many customs from their Bedouin ancestors, including the importance of hospitality. Traditionally, Bedouins extended their generosity to all travelers in the desert. They invited complete strangers to stay with them for up to three days. Bedouins also frequently used large and ornate tents, where they hosted gatherings and feasts. Visitors to the 2015 LA Art Show will get a glimpse into this unique culture when they visit the United Arab Emirates “Featured Guest Country” exhibition. Through the exhibit, guests will enjoy learning about the UAE’s rich history and vibrant culture.

In addition to viewing works of art by notable Emirati artists, the Embassy of the UAE provides LA Art Show guests the experience of a modern interpretation of a traditional Bedouin tent that invokes the imagery and vibrancy of contemporary Arabia. During the opening night visitors will also be welcomed to the UAE “Featured Guest Country” pavilion by local Emirati students in traditional national dress - men in long, white robes called a dishdash and women in black abayas with ornate designs. Keeping with the tradition of their ancestors, visitors will be presented with traditional Arabic coffee and dates, as they explore the exhibit. ever national Pavilion. She currently lives and works in Dubai.

UaE Cultural Experience at La art Show