An international artist’s exhibition blending the rigidity of geometry with the fluidity of organic structures opened this week, alongside the Bahrain Arts Society’s annual art exhibition.
Egyptian creative Dr Waleed Kanoush is showcasing a range of his abstract creations during Pyramid, Tree and Moon – his solo exhibition taking place at the Art Centre, located near the National Museum.
“In this exhibition, I am bringing together a wide range of symbolic emotional and psychological allusions to nature and heritage in my abstract pieces,” he told GulfWeekly.
“These appear in compositions that merge the geometric with the organic, seeking to celebrate the aesthetics of the image through emotional expressions grounded in strong geometric abstraction and rigorous design.”
In the exhibition, Dr Waleed takes inspiration from motifs like palm trees, pyramids, the moon, and even the human body.
He then explores their emotional, ideological and even religious meanings in abstract pieces, creating a balance between the dominance of the geometric and the delicacy of the natural, and between the freshness of the contemporary and the antiquity of heritage.
The exhibition, being organised in collaboration with the Art Station (Muharraq), features works created by Dr Waleed since 2021, including four stunning pieces created in the past year.
“I usually work on a number of pieces at the same time over a period of, say, three to six months,” he explained.
“My process starts with identifying something in nature that I want to bring onto canvas, then I decide on the colours and finally I figure out what I want to add or take away, before creating a geometric representation.”
Alongside Dr Waleed’s exhibition is the Bahrain Arts Society’s annual group exhibition, showcasing pieces by 93 artists.
“We’re very proud to support the Bahrain Arts Society’s annual exhibition – it drew a great turnout and highlights the rich diversity of work here,” Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) director-general of culture and museums Farah Mattar told GulfWeekly.
“It’s wonderful to see experienced artists mentoring younger ones organically, with the Art Centre providing a platform that nurtures and elevates local and international talent.”
The group exhibition features a range of motifs and styles, including some which pay homage to Bahrain’s Dilmun history.
Dr Zainab Swar, who completed her PhD in art education with a specialisation in the Dilmun civilisation, depicted a section of the Epic of Gilgamesh in her pieces, during which Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh for spurning her advances.
In the story, when Gilgamesh and Enkidu triumph over the bull, the the latter dies from a fatal illness, prompting Gilgamesh to seek out the secret to eternal life, a quest which reportedly brought him to Dilmun – modern-day Bahrain.
The exhibition features works from both experienced and new artists, including some like Nesreen Abo Gabara, who began her artistic journey just three years ago.
Nesreen’s piece draws inspiration from The Beatles’ song While My Guitar Gently Weeps, reinterpreting verses into visual motifs.
Both exhibitions continue until February 20 and are open daily from 9am to 8pm.
For more details, follow @theartstation.bh and @bahrainartssociety on Instagram.
&uuid=(email))