Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery Dubai invites everyone to visit The Voyage Within, a group show which features four UAE-based photographers: Virginie Ellis, Osama Elolemy, Omar A. Hussein, and Amit Kar. The exhibition will be open to the public until 8 July 2023.
Virginie Ellis focuses on landscape, street photography and portraits. Among the sources of her inspiration are the works of Robert Bresson, a French film director; Joel Meyerowitz, an award-winning American photographer; and Henri Matisse. Much of her work plays with light and colours, giving the photos vivid painting-like effect, although black and white photography inspires her, as well. Travelling around the world, she uses photography to express her curiosity, emotions, and artistic visions and tell stories.
Osama Elolemy, an emerging self-taught portrait and fine-art photographer, lives and works in Dubai. In his work, he aims to convey not only a beautiful visual component, but also to incorporate his vision, creativity, feelings, and personality. “I love people”, Elolemy says. “Through my art, I like to discover and capture different portraits and facets of human nature.” He often uses the combination of fine art and fashion with surrealism to reveal the bright side of people.
Omar A. Hussein is a professional photographer and videographer; he is also a rocket scientist, the sole deep space navigator in the region leading the mission design and navigation for the UAE’s Mars mission. Hussein’s love for photography started when he was in South Korea working in Robotics Vision Lab on a nuclear program scholarship as a Computer Engineering senior. Once on a rainy day, he walked down the street and saw the neon signs from the buildings reflected on the road. Hussein tried to capture the image in his head using a phone, but the photos he was trying to capture were never what he had in mind. A working student, he managed to save some money and bought a Fuji X-Pro1, which made him realise that his passion is photography.
“My work has transformed from street photography in South Korea to shooting privately for clients,” Hussein says. “Whenever I am not in the office doing my mission design and deep space navigation, I always have one of my cameras to pursue my goal of documenting the UAE.”
Amit Kar grew up in Saudi Arabia and Oman and then went to the USA to study at university and work. Since 2013, he has been living in Dubai. A trip to London during university days, equipped with his father’s film camera, became a starting point for his journey in photography.
Kar’s ability to see and capture a critical moment draws his viewers in. In his cinematic work, he focuses on emotional impact: one feels the emotion he felt when he took the shot, whether the scene is a busy city centre or the starkness of an endless desert.
Kar has displayed his work in galleries and festivals around the world and has been published in lifestyle and photography magazines. In 2021, he published his first book Connections; since 2022, he has been an ambassador for Leica, the most prestigious of camera makers.
To learn more about The Voyage Within, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
You might also be interested in visiting I Am The Traveler And Also The Road.
