Cuadro Fine Art Gallery will unveil a new series by Saudi Arabian artist Manal Al Dowayan, Landscapes of the Mind, at a private preview on October 22nd 2009. The premiere at Cuadro marks the beginning of a world tour in 2010.
In this latest body of work, Al Dowayan explores landscape. She uses representations of her native Saudi Arabia as a medium of thought exchange between the mind and nature, the self and the other.
Al Dowayan reflects upon herself, as a representative of a society and nation within a geographical construct. Symbols in her landscapes obscure reality, allowing her to manipulate and reinvent surreal landscapes, adding a layer of introspection in order to understand who defines perspectives and stereotypes: the observed, the observer, the artist or the outsider?
These large-scale works are composed of layered images that the artist has silk screened by hand over photographs of landscapes.
Born and raised in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, 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.
Cuadro Fine Art Gallery is a leading provider of international, Modern and Contemporary art in the Middle East. Nine distinct exhibition spaces allow for simultaneous exhibitions in different media. The gallery represents some of the most sought-after artists whose works are housed in the permanent collections of international museums. In addition to delivering a wide range of education programs and publishing fine art books, Cuadro provides a forum for ongoing dialogue on global trends as the Gulf emerges as a major player in the international art market.
Speaking of the exhibition, Bashar Al Shroogi, Director of Cuadro Fine Art Gallery and Curator of Landscapes of the Mind said:
"Landscapes of the Mind is an example of Cuadro's commitment to exhibiting the works of regional artists alongside international masters. The works by Al Dowayan will hang alongside Cuadro's international artists whose works are housed in the collections of MoMA, The Guggenheim, The Tate and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I firmly believe that Al Dowayan belongs in this prestigious grouping."
The exhibition will run until December 1st, 2009.
For further information and images contact:
Cuadro Fine Art Gallery
Building 10 DIFC Gate Village: Dubai: UAE
Tel: +9714 425 0400
media@cuadroart.com
www.cuadroart.com | View Gallery
