Cuadro will present the second iteration of Nadine Kanso’s “Makan fi al Zakerah” (Memory of a Place) photography series, wherein Kanso captures images of today’s Beirut and highlights with an eerie familiarity the resemblances they have with times long past. The artist’s longing for her native Beirut is powerful in her honest depiction of dilapidated buildings in its older neighborhoods, juxtaposed with words and images from publications of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Images of elegant men and women peer out from the balconies of once luxurious buildings, most likely similar to those they probably once occupied. Words and phrases from these publications of times gone by resonate with the spirit, energy and issues that are relevant in today’s world.

The “Double Entendre” exhibition delves into artists’ utilization of language in their works and the ambiguity of meaning. Words or phrases are often supplemented with images that heighten or negate them, providing insight and differing perspectives. The use of black and white text introduces an element of reportage to the images. “Double Entendre” showcases the works of artists Manal Al Dowayan, Ayman Yossri Daydban and Nadine Kanso.

Collage/Assemblage explores contemporary incarnations of the technique popularized by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso at the beginning of the 20^th century. The show will examine the technique’s impact on traditional media from a conceptual standpoint – its capacity to integrate an element of reality to a work of art through the introduction of external elements – as well as a visual one – its ability to breach limitations of texture and two dimensions.

The six artists in Right Here, Right Now share the experience of having a transnational identity. It is a challenge to distill elements of their persona as being truly drawn from their countries of origin, having been distanced from them through exile, globalization or both. Their self-expression is therefore one focused on universal themes, such as alienation, vulnerability and personal space.

Although in a secondary role, the attachment to a homeland filters through the works. Landscapes and cityscapes of Saudi Arabia and Turkey are the canvas for Manal Al Dowayan and Ali Taptik, respectively.

The role of homeland is just as palpable in its absence. Jaffar Al Oraibi’s introspection deepened following his immersion in a culture other than his native Bahrain. The distance from Iran due to exile is evident in Sacha Jafri’s dreamlike recollections and Gita Meh’s iconography. Athier draws from Iraqi masters for his interpretations of architecture, calligraphy and symbols.

The artists reinvent elements drawn from their countries of origin in a contemporary style, resulting in diluted versions of the originals. Right Here, Right Now leaves one questioning, does the phenomenon of a transnational identity help us connect with a globalized culture, or does it alienate one further? Is the sense of social cohesion and belonging lost through this abstraction?

Cuadro Fine Art Gallery explores the use of Arabic script in contemporary art in a group show that brings together Emirati artist Kholoud Sharafi and Iraqi artist Athier.  Both employ the Arabic script to create their own unique artistic style.

The use of the written word is a recurring stylistic element often evident in Arab art. Its most direct manifestation is in traditional Arabic calligraphy, yet it is also often present in contemporary Arab art. Arabic is a highly connotative language wherein a word carries deep meanings and communicates concepts far deeper than the simple denotation of the word itself.  Language is paramount in the Arab identity; by definition, an Arab is someone that speaks the Arabic language.  Kalimat, or Words brings together two young Arab artists that have abstracted the written word and embedded it into their oeuvre.

As a British Iraqi, Athier was born and raised in the UK.  Kalimat will be the first time his works are exhibited in the Middle East.  His distinctive graphic vernacular employs an innovative interplay of geometric Islamic shapes and Arabic calligraphy. The presence of words is not immediately apparent; only once the viewer has experienced the work as a whole does the eye begin to discern details and individual elements.  The artworks introduce an interactive playfulness to calligraphy, inviting the viewer to dissect the features that weave into his intricate compositions.  Athier juxtaposes the traditional with the groundbreaking and in the process challenges the artistic importance of both.

Following the success of her “Oum Kulthoum” series exhibited at Cuadro in March 2009, Kholoud Sharafi continues her study of the icons of modern Arab culture. Arab singers of the past repeated the same phrases or words across various songs. Kholoud repeats these iconic statements both literally and in abstracted form to convey the instantly recognizable spirit of legends such as Abdelhaleem and Fareed Al Atrash without using their physical image. The works in this second series are cased in reproductions of 1950's and 60's televisions, reflecting the spirit of the era. Kholoud's work raises the question of whether television was a conduit for popularizing these icons to achieve their legendary status, or whether the icons were a conduit for popularizing television as a medium of communication for the Arab world.

Kalimat is a homage to the Arabic language by a new generation of Arab artists that look back on traditional forms of artistic expression and present new ways of employing the medium of writing in contemporary Arab art.

Cities have sounds. The sound is ever-present, an expanding and contracting energy resonating within a single space. The city inhales, with difficulty, tension building, until it exhales  - an intense release. With every breath the city takes, people gravitate towards it with a longing for the happiness that it promises. Little do they know, however, that when a city breathes, suffocation is bound to follow.

The city acts as a theatrical backdrop; it sets the scene and mood of the act to come. The city gives you the details, but not the story. We are mere props that complete the urban landscape. As the city grows its inhabitants slowly lose themselves, their identity, and eventually blend into this backdrop. Millions of people exist in anomie, surrounded by communities that they do not identify with. Every day, they live between concrete walls and are transported en masse to other concrete locations. They live suspended between states of consciousness and unconsciousness; existence plagued by isolation within congestion.

This context has spurred underground cultures that negate its imposed harmony, cultures with an anarchic spirit that refuse to be tied down by a framework or a definition. They bubble under the surface, exploring creative destruction and escapism. They try to dilute their solitude by reconnecting to their long lost love of the city. They seek emotional salvation at any cost.

This series of works depicts an imagined conversation between urban inhabitants and their cityscape. It is an unstable, symbiotic relationship in a constant state of uncertainty. It is a romance on the verge of collapse.

The artworks comprise delicate black and white prints representing the city, an elegant stage for the dialogue set forth. The conversation between the city and its inhabitants is represented with words and images that are superimposed with lights, buff-proof spray paint and ink. The rough and flashy medium of the foreground only further amplifies the people’s constant need for attention and reconciliation. The inhabitant asks, “Are you mine forever? Do you share my dreams? Do you long for me?” In response the city exhales.

In July, Cuadro pays homage to Color – playing off the works of our leading stable artists and Color Coding the entire gallery.

The exhibition runs throughout our entire 13,000 Sq feet of exhibition space that is segmented and ‘coded’ into the colors Blue, Green, Black, Red, Brown and White.

For the artist, the use of color is one of the most powerful forms of visual expression and communication.  Some artists have become renowned for their distinct preference and use of certain colors that are iconic to their creations. 

Colors play on our emotions in a variety of ways. Whether heightening awareness, acting as a calming sensory, characterizing an element of passion or just taking the viewer into a dream like dimension.  This summer Cuadro celebrates COLOR !

Universe of the Child is the result of his interactions and work with both the ‘Special Needs’ and ‘Able-Bodied’ children of these regions; creating paintings representative of their: aspirations, their understanding of themselves and their sense of identity and belonging to both their national and international community as well as their sense of expression both internal and external and their dreams - their sense of truth and how they relate to their anthropological past, emotional present and hopeful future. An attempt to capture the soul and spirit of each individual country through the eyes, hearts and minds of the ‘Child’. - A barometer of truth for each country’s pulse, heart-beat and spirit.  ‘My paintings aim to uplift, excite and energize us beyond this world and into the more emotive and dream-like aspirations within the Transitional World of Magical Realism – an electric shock to the senses, aiming to uplift the soul and seduce the spirit’.  

Following its worldwide unveiling at Cuadro, the collection will be exhibited at 12 museums around the world and will be auctioned off to raise as much money and awareness as possible for the suffering and underprivileged ‘special needs’ and ‘war-torn’ children of the world.

This March, Cuadro unveils new works by hyper-realist sculptor Marc Sijan. These sculptures of everyday people have become iconic to Cuadro Fine Art Gallery.  In his sculptures, Sijan does not celebrate the ideal form; his works are tributes to real people and in their realism they are unpretentious and gritty; communicating a deep sense of emotion. In order to achieve the ultra-realistic finish, Sijan initially works from a live model and produces a plaster mould. He then sculpts the interior of the mould with tools and a magnifying glass and then casts the figure in a polyester resin. To achieve realistic flesh tones, Sijan applies up to seventy-five coats of paint and varnish. His goal is to achieve depth, yet translucency.  Sijan spends as long as six months reproducing these details on each piece.

Sijan has participated in over 200 museum exhibitions and 30 solo shows. Several of his sculptures are owned by museums, such as the Byer Museum of the Arts in Evenstan (Illinois, USA) and the San Francisco Museum of Arts (California, USA).

This March, Cuadro is pleased to announce an exhibition of new works by artist Gary Komarin. Born in New York, Komarin studied under famous abstract expressionist Philip Guston and received numerous awards such as the Joan Mitchell Prize in Painting (1999) and the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts grant (1999). Komarin has participated in solo and group exhibitions throughout the USA as well as in Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and Japan.

In March, Cuadro Fine Art Gallery is exhibiting works by UK artists: Maslen and Mehra in an exhibition titlted "Mirrored" . 

Maslen & Mehra create temporary interventions with mirrored sculptures, setting them up in various compositions in different contexts and photographing them with a medium format camera. Their works see people from an urban context placed in a more natural environment. The juxtaposition of highly urban people placed in more natural landscapes result in works that raise issues of human existence on earth and alludes to the impermanence and fragility of mankind.

For this exhibition, the photographs are presented on large advertising light boxes that have been salvaged after spending over 15 years in the London underground. 

This March Cuadro showcases works by artist in residence, Alex De Fluvia who spent 3 months in Dubai working from a fully equipped studio at Cuadro Fine Art Gallery. His residency is part of a comprehensive program of local and international residencies aimed at the development of the Arts in the Gulf. 

Upon his arrival, he visited key cultural spots in different emirates and experienced the harmonious balance between tradition and modernity in the UAE. 

De Fluvia also spent time researching new materials & media from the region to further develop his style.

Cuadro will unveil large scale works by De Fluvia and invite collectors to visit the Artist's studio based at Cuadro in the DIFC. 

An exhibition of artworks by pioneering Emirati artists will open on the 15th March 2010, featuring the works of Abdul Qader Al Rais, Mohamed Mandi, Dr. Najat Makki and Abdul Rahim Salim. This exhibition will coincide with the launch of the UAE Art books: A set of four publications that pay homage to the artistic development of the region aiming to make the art of the United Arab Emirates more accessible to the world. 

UAE Art is Cuadro Fine Art Publication's first set of books focusing on the Art of the UAE and is supported by HE Abdul Rahman Al Owais,  Minster of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

David Hewitt currently lives in the UAE and teaches Design at the American University of Sharjah.

Landscape is an intensely visual concept. People do not live in landscapes - they observe them. The viewer is by definition an outsider. Media images portray Saudi Arabia as a landscape of black figures floating in a space of absence. Interpretations of history and tradition emanating from memory are intermingled with stereotypes and preconceptions. Ultimately, it is a landscape in conflict with itself.

Al Dowayan also reassesses contexts of space and power, confronting the forces that dictate the rules of existence in her landscapes. She adds a layer of self-reflection driven by the desire to understand who holds the power to define perspectives and stereotypes: the observed, the observer, the artist or the outsider?

Born and raised in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Manal Al Dowayan’s artworks have been exhibited at international venues such as the United Nations in New York, The European Parliament in Brussels and, most recently, at the 53rd Venice Biennale, Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo Polignac. Her works are held in public collections including The British Museum, UK; The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Jordan; The Delfina Foundation, UK and The Jameel Foundation, KSA. Al Dowayan is represented by Cuadro Fine Art Gallery.

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