Chinartree

Is there such a thing as ‘Emirati art’? - February 2009

By Jyoti Dhar

 As a minority population in a country that is moving at warp speed, the issue of Emirati identity has been a pertinent one.  2008 saw ‘the year of national identity’ in the United Arab Emirates and this renewed focus on nationalism, combined with a surge of interest in regional art, gave us a proliferation of ‘Emirati art’ shows, both in the UAE and internationally.

In the last year alone we have seen exhibitions such as Dubai Next (Art Basel), Suhoor: Emirati art (Dubai), Emirati Expressions (Abu Dhabi), Dubai Underground (New York), Re-Source (Dubai) as well as plans for two Emirati pavilions at the upcoming Venice Biennial. 

With this massive promotion of ‘Emirati art’ and the resulting copious output, it is important to consider whether an individuality or identity of this art exists.  Is the classification of this art as Emirati still a valid one? And if so, is there a distinctive pattern emerging in local contemporary art that can be described as ‘Emirati?’

These may seem like redundant questions in an era of globalization or an ’altermodern’ [1] time as Nicolas Bourriad, curator of the Tate Triennial, hypothesizes.  He suggests that for contemporary artists “multiculturalism and the discourse of identity is being overtaken by a planetary movement of creolisation” and as such today’s artists are ‘transnational entities.’ 

Whilst this theory negates the need for artists to be defined by their individual nationalities, it is particularly relevant to look at the reasons behind the UAE’s ongoing, sensitive relationship with personal identity. 

Idiosyncrasies of relevance

The Emirati case study has a unique dynamic for a few reasons.  1) The nationals of the UAE have seen the their country change from a trading port as a British protectorate to one that is an independent oil-rich country, in under four decades.  2) Emiratis have had their notion of identity particularly challenged with the influx of close to 200 nationalities, leaving them with less than 7% of the population.

3) Most importantly for artists, there were no institutions that taught Fine Art formally until 2002.[2]  This meant that all Emirati artists received training abroad or were self-taught.  For example, veterans such as Dr Najat Makki studied in Cairo, Hassan Sharif in London and Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, briefly, in Pakistan.

This leaves us to ask, do these artists share a history, a commonality, a distinctive quality as artists, and if so, can we see it in their expression?

Origins of difference

There seem to be two fundamental sets of artists in the UAE; namely from the late 1970s and early 1980s.  They can broadly be grouped into what we see today as ‘The Flying House artists’, such as Hassan Sharif, Hussein Sharif, Abdulla Al Saadi and  Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and the other less defined group, linked to the Emirates Fine Arts Society , such as Abdul Qader Al Rais, Dr Najat Makki and Abdul Raheem Salem. 

Of course, members of each set have overlapped groups at points, but the art produced do bear some distinct differences.  The Flying House artists encouraged experimentation and concept-based art work including performance art, land art and the use of new media.  They in turn influenced a second generation of artists (Mohammed Kazem, Ebtisam Abdul Aziz, Khalil Abdul Wahid) and a third generation (Layla Juma, Nuha Asad, Abdul Rahman Al Maaini) to do the same.

In contrast, artists such as Dr Najat Makki and Abdul Raheem Salem concentrated on figurative painting and Abdul Qader Al Rais on the development of a personal calligraphic technique.  Currently, these individual forms are recognized as these artists’ signature styles.

Parallels in contemporary works

Today, we see a greater diversity in Emirati art for reasons internal and external to the UAE.[3]   This in turn has resulted in many more artists, and seemingly more women, emerging on the local art scene.  Of these artists, Lamya Gargash, Reem Al Ghaith and Lateefa Bint Maktoum seem to be at the forefront of this ‘new generation’, gaining recognition internationally and being represented at most exhibitions showcasing ‘Emirati art.’

This ‘new generation’ art is representative of the growth of digital media in the last five years and demonstrably in graphic design and photographic art. 

But do we see a remarkable congruence in the work?

Massimiliano Lodi, art consultant for Dubai Next talked about the similarities he saw in Lamya Gargash, Mohammed Kazem and Reem Al Ghaith’s works.  “All of them visually share these large expanses…massive uninhabited areas.”  Massimiliano explained that this was perhaps due to the artist’s perceptions of working and developing their work in relative isolation.

Lateefa Bint Maktoum gave us another discerning insight. “Perhaps you do see a commonality with traditional dress, traditional clothing.  Personally, I can recognize an Emirati art work, but I don’t know if that is the yet the case internationally.  In any case I hope we don’t all start becoming the same!”  

Conscientious Objectors

As well as the concern of being boxed in or grouped together, there is the other objection from Emirati artists which is the feeling that this compartmentalization is essentially a convenient marketing tool.   

“The media wants to label us as a group and the institutions want to do this to market us.  It is not in sync with what I think,” says Hassan Sharif.  “I don’t agree with categorizing artists according to nationality whether it be Emirati, Kuwaiti, English or any other.  I don’t even like to say this is a ‘woman artist’ or a ‘young artist’.”   Lateefa agrees with this sentiment saying, “A lot of people want something to be able to call it ‘Emirati art’ and for it to have a signature look.” 

The brand explained

To explore this further we asked gallerist Mehnaz Tan of Elementa Gallery, currently exhibiting ‘Re-source’ a selection of Emirati artists, how she felt about the use of Emirati art as a label. “Our focus at the gallery has always been an international one and we recognize that Emirati artists are part of a globalized era.” 

Despite this being the case, Mehnaz went on to explain why art in the UAE in particular still faces this undeniable association with identity. “Because Emirati art is still such a relatively new movement, artists here are still keen to examine their culture, their identity and their roots.  I’ve found younger artists particularly conscious of these issues.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, once this is done, they can move on.” 

Bearing this uniqueness of the Emirati position, is the classification justified?  Is there something we can confidently call Emirati art?  You have heard the artists’ and gallerists’ perspective, now send us in your thoughts and join the debate!

[1]The term ‘Altermodern’ has been coined by Nicolas Bourriad as a theory suggesting the post-modernist era has given way to altermodern times.  This comprises of multiplicity and a global moderness, as opposed to the occidental modernism of the 20th century.
[2]Although the institutions such as Atelier for arts and theatre and The Fine Arts Society in Sharjah existed, it was not until 2002 that a degree in Fine Arts was offered at the newly formed College at the University of Sharjah.
[3]Internal: The establishment of fine art facilities (American universities of Sharjah and Dubai, Fine Arts College in Sharjah, Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi) and private and governmental institutional support (including the art fairs, the Biennial, the auction houses and art authorities) within the country have in turn developed the arts.
 External: Increased international commercialization and market forces, as well as the effects of globalization such as increased communication and exposure, having had a direct effect on Emirati art.