Art Bahrain Across Borders - Indian Art News

Beyond Wordplay

visionsart — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:26:39 +0000

Bahraini artists Jamal Abdulrahim, Ayman Jaafar, Seema Baqi and Mayasa Al Sowaidi share their metaphors with Suman Doonga

An airline window opens to the tactile fluidity of nature abstracts, the fire and ice elements almost merging into each other. A series of doors is waiting to be opened. Metaphorically, they were Bahraini artists’ attempts to break out of their inner world and blend their creative streaks with the rest of the world.

A group of artists, sculptors and photographers from Bahrain expressed themselves on canvas and chose themes that connect them with us at the first India-Bahrain Arts Exchange, The Unsaid by ArtBab (Art Bahrain Across Borders). It was curated by eminent Indian artist Alka Raghuvanshi and director of ArtBab Kaneka Subberwal, and supported by Tamkeen at the Bikaner House. Eminent artist, philanthropist and award-winning sculptor Rouble Nagi hosted the show with the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the king of Bahrain and president of the Supreme Council for Women ArtBab.

Participating artists at the exhibition included Ayman Jaffar, Balqees Fakhro, Dawiya Al Alawiat, Faika Al Hasan, Hamed Al Bosta, Jamal Abdulrahim, Karina El Zu bi, Lulwa Al Khalifa, Mariam Fakhro, Maryam Nass, Mohammed Taha, Nabeela Al Khayer, Omar Al Rashid, Seema Baqi, Somaya Abdulghani, Taiba Faraj, Zakeya Zada and Mayasa Al Sowaidi.

This initiative aims to provide a platform to Bahraini artists exposing them to local and international aspirational values. Said Nagi, “As we live in a global world connected by the internet to people living thousands of miles away, art proves to be an efficient medium for cultural exchange. The intersection of cultures has provided a fertile ground for artistic inspiration and creativity which reflects cultural evolution and progress of the nation.”

According to Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi, CEO Tamkeen, the art sector has gained importance as an engine of economic growth, not only locally but across the region. The Indian art scene is considered among the most developed in the region with outstanding talent, and to showcase the works of Bahraini artists in India, would be a huge platform for the artists.

Kaneka Subberwal, Fair and Programme Director of ArtBab, said, “We are proud to organise an art exhibition for the first time ever in India and develop a connect with Indian art enthusiasts. This initiative has the potential to grow much grander and accommodate more talented artists in the future. We not only provide a platform for Bahraini artists to showcase their work globally, it also acts as an umbrella for the creation of a common space for galleries and artists across the globe to associate with collectors and art aficionados. Our exceptional artists from Bahrain are extremely excited to showcase their extraordinary work. We wish to empower the artists by taking Bahrain to the global art industry and bringing the global art community to Bahrain.”

The artwork reflect Bahrain’s script, culture, people and landscapes in various forms. Beautiful and lyrical, the artists defined their creative context in voices that are not tentative but very audible within their space. The artists showcased their imagination by underlining the unsaid and highlighting the said.

Artist Jamal Abdulrahim’s work was inspired by the rich Arab civilisation, its mythology, religion and language. Said he, “Working on stone fills the soul with a special kind of pleasure that cannot be explained, as art is a spiritual exercise which cannot be ignored or dispensed with by artists and audiences both.”

Ayman Jaafar’s calligraphic explorations, on the other hand, reflected the nature of integrity and resonated with the concept that all manifestations of matter and spirit are ultimately one. His work was unique and comprised words with usage of Arabic alphabets, opening up a world of mysticism.

Seema Baqi used creative imagination and expression in abstract pieces telling the story of Sufi culture and its ideologies of selflessness, simplicity and the journey to self-actualization. Much like Bahraini culture, the root of Sufism is based on the practices of loyalty, love and truthful intentions. Baqi said, “The spiritual element is an important component and an intrinsic part of my lyrical works.”

Mayasa Al Sowaidi is a self-taught artist and her landscapes seemed cloistered together, almost suffocating in their closeness. And true to her background in mathematics, balance and order are important components of her artistic practice. Her creativity and freedom of expression were characterized by its distinct shapes and impression. Art is an essential part of life for all these 18 experimental artists as it allows them the freedom of expression.

Source : http://www.dailypioneer.com/vivacity/beyond-wordplay.html

The post Beyond Wordplay first appeared on Indian Art News.

Art across borders – India Bahrain art exchange initiative

visionsart — Sun, 08 Oct 2017 09:35:02 +0000

New Delhi: Art Bahrain Across Borders, (ArtBAB), the Kingdom of Bahrain’s premier contemporary art fair and curated artists program under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain, is all set to debut in India with its artist programs to be held in New Delhi and Mumbai.

ArtBAB’s artist program was launched last year in May 2016 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Its second edition will take place in Bikaner House in New Delhi on October 9, and Bombay Art Society in Mumbai on November 30.

Under this art initiative, a collection of over 40 artworks from 20 Bahraini artists selected under ArtBAB umbrella will be going on display for the first time in India. ArtBAB is organizing these artist programs in India in association with Rouble Nagi Art Foundation.

The show is curated by Dr Alka Raghuvanshi. The highly anticipated exhibition will kick off in New Delhi at Bikaner House on Monday October 09, 2017 and will go on till October 11. The Mumbai edition will start from November 30 onwards and will be on till December 2, 2017.

“We are proud to bring ArtBAB to India which has a rich history of Art and is known for some of the great artists. India has immense potential not only as a market but also as a supplier of talent and artwork to the international art scene. We are confident that our association with India will go a long way in promoting Bahraini artists and also fostering a connect between creative enthusiasts from both countries,” said Shaikha Maram Bint Isa Al Khalifa, the Director of the office of Her Royal Highness Wife of the King of Bahrain.

“ArtBAB not only provides a platform for Bahraini artists to showcase their work globally, it also acts as an umbrella for the creation of a common space for galleries and artists across the globe to connect with collectors and art aficionados. We have few exceptional artists shortlisted for the first exhibition in India and we are extremely excited to showcase their extraordinary work which reflects Bahrain’s script, culture, people and landscapes in various forms. Through ArtBAB, we aim to nurture talent and skill surface in Bahrain. We wish to empower artists by taking Bahrain to the global art industry and bringing the global art community to Bahrain.” added Kaneka Subberwal, Fair and Programme Director of ArtBAB.

Source : http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Indian-Business/2017-10-07/Art-across-borders—India-Bahrain-art-exchange-initiative/331636

The post Art across borders – India Bahrain art exchange initiative first appeared on Indian Art News.

ArtBAB Working To Communicate Art Across Borders

visionsart — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 17:16:00 +0000

ArtBAB has worked with artists of India and had an excellent participation. Amid great participation from India, there has been a fantastic interaction with Indian artists

ArtBAB (Art Bahrain Across Borders), an initiative under patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain is an international fair and hosts leading artists from all over the world – UK, Russia, Africa, Bahrain, France, Ukraine, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, Italy and USA among other countries. The latest edition of the Fair is going to be organized from 14th to 18th March 2018 in Bahrain.

ArtBAB has played an instrumental role in promoting Bahrain’s contemporary art scene with Art Select.

Kaneka Subberwal Fair Director of ArtBAB told BW Businessworld, “I have developed a relationship with Bahrain since my first trip in 2008. I took special interest and fondness to the artists of Bahrain, who are extremely talented, very diverse in their technique, exposure, and expression. I felt there was a need to communicate their talent across borders and connect the world through art to Bahrain.”

ArtBAB has worked with artists of India and had an excellent participation. Amid great participation from India, there has been a fantastic interaction with Indian artists.

Artists should not be restricted to tiers. The art fair has stands where artists can purchase stands and showcase their art. If an artist has the knowledge, exposure, then there isn’t any issue with selling as well.

India has a plethora of artists so selling art should not be an issue and that is something very niche to ArtBAB.

Kaneka shared, “We have something called BAB Pavilion. We give out an open call to nationals in Bahrain. They apply for the pavilion and are selected by a panel which allows three works per artist. All this is sponsored by the government for empowering the artists.”

ArtBAB wants to connect the Bahrinian artists across the world and bring them to Bahrain, because of its rich legacy, heritage and the power to observe art. One of the main spines of the project is agency Tamkeen, a funding company which focuses on employment.

The art fair brings ample opportunities for a number of people involved in designing. Any kind of exchange of human capital bridges the gap.

Kaneka shared, “I see a lot of art movement in India. As an audience, Indians are very versatile in their approach. There is huge education; art has been going on for generations. There is a huge capacity to take up roles, which we are also banking on for our artists.”

About the total participation in the International art fair, she added, “We had 48 participants in the first year and 65 last year, which is a considerable improvement. We are hoping to go much higher this year. We did revenue of around Rs 2.5 crore and are planning to go 1.5 times higher this year.”

We have an education program, where artists interact with each other and gain experience. The main aim is to support artists and building bridges with the countries.

This year in India, ArtBAB has partnered with a philanthropist Rouble Nagi to showcase a first of its kind art initiative welcoming Bahraini contemporary artists and connecting creative enthusiasts from India and Bahrain through an unparalleled exchange program of artist involvements. Under the initiative, Bahraini artists will visit India to display their 30-35 exclusive art works in Delhi and Mumbai in the months of October and November respectively.

Credits : http://businessworld.in/article/ArtBAB-Working-To-Communicate-Art-Across-Borders/06-09-2017-125469/

Rajguru Tandon

The post ArtBAB Working To Communicate Art Across Borders first appeared on Indian Art News.