Lebanese artist Ali Cha’aban’s work Metamorphosis.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

The 25th edition of the Islamic Arts Festival (IAF) got underway in Sharjah on December 13. To continue till January 21, 2024, and titled Manifestations, the exhibition runs across various venues in Sharjah, including Sharjah Art Museum, Calligraphy Square, House of Wisdom, 1971 — Design Space, Khorfakkan Amphitheatre and Kalba Beach. “The festival endeavours to embrace a diverse array of artistic expressions,” says the Department of Culture, Directorate of Cultural Affairs and festival host, “endeavouring to encapsulate the theme through various artistic presentations, while preserving the authenticity of Islamic arts.”

Since the show is dispersed across multiple venues, it is in the form of an open festival that extends from designated display areas to outdoor spaces bursting with life and movement. The public are enabled to engage with a series of installations of Islam-themed art, giving them an opportunity to immerse themselves in an ancient artistic legacy. This edition of the festival has 132 events and showcases 319 art pieces which encompass installations, calligraphy, murals and paintings in classical calligraphy. It sees the participation of nearly 50 artists from 25 Arab countries led by the UAE, with contributions from Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan, Spain, Poland, Turkiye, Colombia, UK, France, Germany, Argentina, Japan, Russia and Kazakhstan, plus others. 81 workshops are being organised, and IAF hosts over 80 guests, including media personnel, lecturers, calligraphers and workshop supervisors.

Holding Hours by Emirati artist Maktoum Al Maktoum is in the form of Duaa or supplication, an Islamic prayer practice. The installation is filled with indigo dye, which drips out slowly onto a slab of sandstone. The emptying out of the liquid indicates the ultimate return of life to earth. Al Maktoum has a BSc in Psychology from Goldsmiths, University of London, as well as an MSc in International Real Estate and Planning. His art practice is mainly informed by human experience, behaviour, time, ideologies, beliefs and language.

A composition from Mathieu Bories (Mateo).

Lebanese artist Ali Cha’aban’s work Metamorphosis assembles the fusion of traditional Persian carpets with porcelain vases. It observes the alchemical process that occurs as the two distinct objects undergo a metamorphosis, blurring the boundaries between form, function, and cultural contexts. The artist aims to unravel the intricacies of cultural synthesis and material transformation and expand aesthetic appreciation. He challenges conventional notions of artistic mediums, while using them in a cross disciplinary project. In Tasa’ Wa Tasa’oun (Expands what you seek), Saudi artist Omar Abduljawad uses 33 vertical, evenly spaced dichroic acrylic panels weighted with basalt stones. The installation serves as a metaphor for the journey of life, which the artist describes as “a transitional period of time between unknowns”. He encourages viewers to look at each other from the opposite sides of the artwork, prompting them to consider their shared humanity.With over two decades dedicated to street art across the globe, Mathieu Bories (Mateo), who is a French artist based in Montreal, has delved into the realm of ornamentation. At the heart of his artistic narrative is his signature painted rugs, adorned with striking feminine portraits, interwoven with ancient motifs.

The ingenious fusion of the traditional rug and modern portraiture, in a way, exemplifies the evolution of Islamic art. Mateo also disrupts convention by vertically mounting the rugs on walls. The shift pays homage to the creative force of women weavers, who infuse their designs with narratives from nature, mythology and their daily lives.

Passing down their wisdom through generations, they ensure the continuity of ancient techniques and patterns. The works honour them and invite viewers to explore the profound influence of women in art through the history of rugs, and examines the intertwining of culture with history. Canadian artist Xiaojing Yan’s work Spirit Cloud is made of over 33,000 freshwater pearls, suspended in space by thousands of clear filaments. It is like a three-dimensional pointillist painting, whose image is formed by luminescent dots in space.

Holding Hours by Emirati artist Maktoum Al Maktoum.

“Pearls symbolise purity, wisdom and spirituality,” says Yan. “The work creates a sense of mysticism and divinity, allowing viewers to experience the emotions and sensations associated with the sculpture.”

The pearl-made cloud also creates a transcendent aura or halo; it invites guests to contemplate the spiritual meanings and connotations related to Manifestations, the theme of the exhibition. “From its inaugural event in 1998,” says the Department of Culture, Directorate of Cultural Affairs, “to the current twenty-fifth edition, the festival has notably amplified the presence of Islamic arts, on both Arab and international platforms. Its mission is to rekindle these arts and forge historical, philosophical and intellectual connections. The festival serves as an aesthetic crucible, merging the authenticity of Islamic arts with contemporary artistic visions.”

Islamic arts have been defined as the literary, performing, and visual arts of the vast populations of the Islamic world, from the 7th century onward. Adherents of Islam and those living in Islamic settings have created such an immense variety of literatures, performing arts, visual arts and music, that it virtually defies any comprehensive description. In the narrowest sense, the arts of the Islamic peoples might be said to include only those arising directly from the practice of Islam. More commonly, the term is extended to include all of the arts produced by Muslim peoples, whether connected with their religion or not. It has also come to include art related to the lives of Muslims, produced by people who are not Muslims by faith.