Art Talk - Discussing and Sharing Ideas and Experiences - Magazine

A dialogue revealed interesting experiences that encouraged artists to create their art

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information has organised the 19th Edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival. The event is an evident embodiment of Sharjah's sincere interest in the Islamic influences on art.

A dialogue between the artists and the audience was arranged on December 16, during which the participating artists discussed experiences that encouraged them to create their art. While some artists explained all the behind scenes that took them to create the exhibited artwork, others also showed various works from their portfolio and discussed the influences and inspiration behind each piece. Sharing ideas and presenting the thought process was incredibly inspiring as every artist brings something different to the table. They all worked under the same theme 'Bunyan' but the end result was completely different.

'Bunyan' is the Arabic word for 'standing structure,' 'forming construction,' or 'man-built creation.' The concept of Bunyan was to deconstruct and then rebuild and create something new in the realm of contemporary Islamic arts. These distinct creations are the output of a series visual research conducted by creative architects and artists from different parts of the worlds.

Nermeen Abu-Dail, Jordan; Munib Obradovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ahmad Angawi, Saudi Arabia / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

L- R. Hamdy Reda, Egypt; Cal Lane, Canada / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

L-R. Mohamed Mandour, Egypt; Ahmed Keshta, Spain; Sahand Hesamiyan, Iran / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Art Talk at the 19th Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

L-R. Alke Reeh, Germany; Lianne Clark, UK; Kaz Shirane, Japan / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Art Talk at the 19th Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

L-R. Andrey Zignnatto, Brazil; Damien Gilley, USA; Matthew Simmonds, UK / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Art Talk at the 19th Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Antonio Santin, Spain; Julie Tremblay, Canada; Daydreamers, Hong Kong / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

L-R. Rasheed Al Shashai, Saudi Arabia; Jenna Aden, New Zealand; Alois Kronschlaeger, USA / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

The 19th Edition of Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival hosts 364 activities in the form of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. More than 20 organisations assisted in the coordination of the festival projects. There will be 42 exhibitions, of which 34 opened at the Sharjah Art Museum, presenting works of artists from 21 countries. 64 participating artists presented 232 artworks. The Festival is open until January 24, 2016.