The works will be on display at Sharjah Art Museum until August.
Culture vultures will be very happy to hear that the works of the late artist Aref El-Rayess (1928-2005), are now being showcased at Sharjah Art Museum.
Presenting an extensive selection of paintings, drawings, sculptures and collages, the exhibition reveals the complex practices, colours and abstract designs employed by the artist.
You can expect numerous portraits including El Rayess’ travels in Senegal in the late 1940s and 1950s, as well as France, Italy, the USA and Saudi Arabia.
There will also be paintings from his time in Italy that decry the brutality of the Algerian War of Independence and from his Blood and Freedom series painted shortly after the Arab defeat in the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War of June 1967.
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The exhibition which was inaugurated by Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, and Manal Ataya, Director of Sharjah Museums Authority, will run until 7 August 2022.
Speaking on the El Rayess’ exhibit, Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, said; “It is with great pleasure that Sharjah Art Foundation and Sharjah Museums Authority are partnering on the first major institutional exhibition of this important Arab Modernist.
“We are also grateful to the Aref El Rayess Foundation for their support in this presentation that will offer local, regional and international audiences an opportunity to appreciate and reassess his practice. We hope this exhibition will encourage much needed new research into El Rayess’ remarkable career.”
Ms Ataya echoed Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi sentiments saying; “We are pleased to once again partner with Sharjah Art Foundation to bring the works of one of the most influential Arab artists to public attention.
“The exhibition is part of our continuous joint efforts to celebrate the contribution of prolific Arab artists to the development of the art scene in the Arab world and to offer a platform for established and emerging artists to share their unique artistic experiences and gain the exposure they deserve.”
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