Filed under: FA Gallery, The Kuwait Scene | Tags: amira behbehani, fa gallery, ginane bacho, lise allam, mary tuma, mutaz elemam, reda salem, sina ata
if you know me, you might have predicted that lise allam's work was my favorite there by far. this is a detail of 'hoya', oil on canvas, 100 x 150cm
Although I went to this exhibition four nights ago, I wasn’t too keen on writing about it. And the reason for not writing bothered me more than the fact that I hadn’t written. As I was washing my dishes wondering why I didn’t even bother to upload the photos I’d taken, I came to a realization. Over the past year, I’ve made it my goal to give as honest an opinion as I can about the exhibitions I visited without being hurtful, venomous or catty. With every aspect of my life, because I live in a country which (arguably if you like) is culturally dry, and people pat one another on the back for less than stellar achievements, I try to distinguish between sub-standard, standard and spectacular. And this exhibition, like many before it, was a mix of all three levels. It’s exhibitions like this one which make me question the curator’s ability to discern the difference between strong and provocative artists and artist friends for whom he/she is doing a favor. (more…)
Filed under: dar al-funoon, FA Gallery, The Kuwait Scene, The Sultan Gallery | Tags: art, dar al-funoon, fa, gallery, halim al karim, irani, jahed sarbolan, katayoun karami, mohamad mehdi tabatabaie, shideh tami, shima esfandiary
6:30 pm: fa gallery: body language|in the eyes of the iranian artists, in this picture acrylics and LED by mohamad mehdi tabatabaie
7:15:dar al funoon gallery, works by halim al karim
10:00 am: the sultan gallery: 'the children of gaza' featuring limited edition prints by dia azzawi
Filed under: FA Gallery, Sometimes I think I'm a photographer | Tags: adam & eve, Exhibition, fa gallery, fatima el hajj, Kuwait, magazine, photo, photography, publication, shoot
this is the first painting that caught my eye in the gallery, 'moroccan door'. maybe it was because i was giving fatima a big hug when i spotted it, or maybe because it just tugged at my heart. it was the first of many favorites. photos don't make fatima's work justice because it is so, so visually tactile and delicious
I had a very busy morning yesterday. It was one of those mornings you feel were worth getting out of bed and driving around town for. Good company, a big jar of assorted eye candy and a healthy dose of cultural adrenaline. After the car show, I drove to the FA Gallery to see Lebanese artist Fatima El Hajj’s exhibition, Gardens of the Spirit. I wasn’t sure she would be there, and if she were, I wasn’t sure she’d recognize me. I met her in Beirut eons ago (and in what seems like another lifetime). We had met over coffee and I remember her taking me to one of her favorite bookshops and buying me two gorgeous Mohamed Naciri books. The books inspired me and her gesture really touched my heart. Other than her colorful paintings, that is what I remember about Fatima El Hajj. As I said above, Fatima’s works are very tactile. I do wish I took closer photos of her work, but I was too busy taking the paintings in.
As a bonus, the crew of Adam & Eve magazine was there for a photo shoot. And I get so excited at photo shoots! I’m so glad they were using both the gallery (which I am more and more warming up to) and Fatima’s work as a backdrop. Good choice. (more…)
