Currently, Elham Shafaei and Sara Al Haddad are having their creations displayed in the Thread of Existence exhibition. Weaving the threads of these UAE-based artists’ journeys, it delves into the themes of loss and belonging. The show is being held at Aisha Alabbar Gallery and will be open to the public until the 25th of April, 2024.
Made from yarn and fibre, Sara Al Haddad’s artworks embody the passage of time and tell stories of her inner struggles, while evolving with their environment. Meanwhile, Elham Shafaei, who experiments with various art mediums, blends painting and stitching to examine the essence of being human. For her, loss is a universal melody echoing from our separation from the maternal embrace, so Shafaei’s art focuses on the yearning for connection. Together, the artists invite us to ponder on the depths of identity and the timeless quest for belonging as well as embrace the eternal search for our place in the world.
About the artists
Elham Shafaei (b. 1983, Rasht, Iran) is an internationally renowned artist and curator who also works in arts management. She obtained her BFA in Painting from the Science and Culture University (Tehran, Iran). In 2010, she moved to Malaysia and earned an MFA in Papermaking and a PhD in Fine Arts (Painting) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) (Penang, Malaysia), where she also worked as an Industrial Fellow for the School of Arts. In 2017, the artist relocated to the UAE. Elham is the Co-Founder and Co-Editor of ContemporaryIdentities International Online Art Magazine-Gallery. Besides, she founded i.e. Art Projects, an online art foundation.
The artist’s PhD was dedicated to the exploration of the role of melancholia in creative life through studio research and a written dissertation. Melancholia and loss are the key themes in her art. The melancholic monochrome faces she depicts and cuttings and stitches convey the idea of being removed, displaced, transplanted, and re-attached.
Sara Al Haddad (b. 1988, Dubai) resides in her home city. In 2011, she graduated from the American University (Dubai) with a BFA in Visual Communication. After winning the Fulbright Foreign Exchange Scholarship, she went to the USA to study at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) (Baltimore), from which she received an MFA in Sculpture in 2016. Among the artist’s achievements are a three-month residency with A.i.R Dubai (2014) and a commissioned work for Art Dubai projects.
Employing yarn, fibre, and such techniques as crocheting and stitching, Al Haddad creates art pieces which are versatile in their ability to be hung, wrapped, piled, arranged, and stretched within a space. With a reflective approach to her art, she considers it a means to explore and interpret different situations, events, and the emotions associated with them. The artist calls her works “a series of memories – the stages of recollection(s), the forgotten details, and the deliberate omissions – on repeat”.
To learn more about Threads of Existence, please visit the show’s official web page.
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