Alluring aluminium artworks made by National Council for Arts chairman Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa are captivating museum-goers in Europe.
Spectrum, a solo exhibition recently opened in the Liechtenstein Landesmuseum in Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein, features an array of installations … where it has received the stamp of approval in more ways than one.
They boast traditional Middle Eastern architectural principles with specific palettes and tones that are characteristic to the landscape of Bahrain … and a clever link to one of the kingdom’s main industrial sectors.
“I am thrilled to be exhibiting in Vaduz and to have the opportunity to present this selection of my Spectrum series, of which I am very proud, to Liechtenstein,” said Shaikh Rashid, a renowned patron and ardent supporter of the arts.
“It’s of the utmost importance to me to be able to reach, connect with and introduce my work to, new audiences, particularly in Liechtenstein a country with such a rich, unique history,” he added. “My work in essence draws on aspects of my heritage, culture and surroundings that I am grateful to be able to share with the hope to create dialogue, develop contacts and cement new friendships.”
Shaikh Rashid had been interested in art and archaeology from an early age and his artistic development evolved from traditional landscape paintings and Figurative, ephemeral oil painting to more abstract forms.
Eager to experiment and open to new ideas, he explored three-dimensional aspects as an artistic medium and began to bend the canvas which led him to convex canvases.
He developed this approach further, in recent years, when he transformed convex canvases into aluminium supports, which in turn were broken up into many small surfaces, reminiscent of the layout of Arabian cities and of Arabian windows.
In 2020 he established the RAK Art Foundation with the intention of providing a platform as well as offering opportunities for emerging artists and creatives.
He also made his collection of international contemporary art accessible to the public.
His works have always been closely linked to Bahrain and Spectrum spectacularly signals the kingdom is one of the world’s leading producers of aluminium.
Over the last five decades, Alba has been a major contributor to the social, industrial and economic development of the kingdom. The company is at the heart of a thriving Bahrain’s aluminium sector, which accounts for approximately 12 per cent of the country’s GDP.
“Despite the diversity of my oeuvre in terms of style and materials, there is a common denominator; an underlying essence that flows through decades of creative work,” he explained.
“I suppose that you could say that my work is by and largely defined by progression and evolution; shifting with the times and changing with the landscape of my native country.
“My latest works are made of aluminium, a robust and versatile metal that is also lightweight and corrosion resistant. Bahrain boasts the second largest aluminium smelter in the world. I believe these larger works are inherent of that dichotomy; they are powerful and dominating, but concurrently effortless, delicate and meditative.”
In commemoration of his exhibition, the Liechtenstein Postal Museum, a branch of the Liechtenstein National Museum, designed postage stamps and stamp collection sheets, featuring details of Shaikh Rashid’s Spectrum success, marking the first time a Middle Eastern artist has ever been featured on Liechtenstein’s stamps.
“It is a privilege to have my work featured on them,” added Shaikh Rashid. “Historically, the postage stamp presented an opportunity to publicise an impression of a particular country to the world, through the images and stories depicted on them.
“Growing up, stamps were fascinating in the sense that they allowed us to daydream about places far away. Presenting my work on Liechtenstein’s stamps, not only emphasises the budding relationship with a country that has such a rich postal history, but also allows me the privilege to in some way, represent and convey my country.”
The director of the Liechtenstein National Museum and the Postal Museum, professor Dr Rainer Vollkommer, said he was ‘thrilled’ to be featuring Shaikh Rashid’s exhibition as well as to have his artwork on the nation’s stamps.
The exhibition continues until September 7.
mai@gdnmedia.bh
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