MUSCAT: Muttrah’s strategic location, its rich history and cultural vibrancy, on top of its traditional markets, adds to the captivating art exhibition in the market complex. While the fish market has its attractions for tourists and seafood lovers, it has found a new raison d’être for art lovers, who are flocking to the makeshift gallery, set up in an abandoned construction site. In effect, the fish market provides a perfect foil to establish a contrast between human sufferings depicted through art works of Safaa Erruas, Elmira Abolhasani and Riham Noor al Zadjali, and the laidback ambience of the Muttrah-Corniche area. 

Curated by Rasmia Noor Mohammed Al Zadjali and organized by Rasma Art Consultancy, the two-week art exhibition was formally inaugurated on February 14^th by H.E. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Humaidi, Chairman of Muscat Municipality.

As the press note on the exhibition explains, ‘The original impetus behind Kullon Menna was sparked by the hostility of the way of the world, and the collective, protracted cruelty inflicted on certain groups of people. Having witnessed firsthand these seasons of affliction, a core group of artists came together seeking to represent the scares and scars of war and displacement. 

‘Although themselves fortunate to have witnessed but not experienced the duress of war and its brutality, all three artists live with and sense the devastating toll of human suffering. Through their art, they wish to speak for the wounded, the uprooted and the perished. Theirs is an expression of empathy and human kindness that comes from a position of privilege; the privilege of normalcy which, when juxtaposed against surrounding misery, often breeds feelings of inadequacy and helplessness. 

‘Kullon Mena is for each of us spent by passive outrage. It is a forward-motion against the routinization of the consequences of war, away from the traffic in angry words and around the pervasive notion that privilege does not entitle its holder to empathy.’

About the artists

Moroccan artist Safaa Erruas is a multidisciplinary abstract artist whose body of work focuses on the complexity of and the permanent tension between sensation, perception and experience. Her artwork is dictated by the colour white upon which soft materials and sharp objects clash in a nod to the silent, open wounds that people carry deep within and spark a powerful consciousness of the body be it present or absent, whole, pain-racked or landless. She considers her art to be a personal journey of interpretation and understanding, a quest through which she hopes to grasp the world and society she operates in. Safaa’s work was exhibited globally in Morocco, France, Sweden, Spain, Australia, UAE, Cuba, The United States, Egypt and Belgium.

Iranian artist Elmira Abolhassani is a visual artist whose artistic journey is an attempt at understanding the underlying structures of human networks and identities as well as each person’s role and position as an individual node in this complex web. Her body of work stems from her belief that one must first attain a clear vision of oneself in order to fully comprehend significant aspects of the world we live in. She chooses glass as her primary tool and in mastering this versatile component, she tries to find and understand herself. Elmira’s work was showcased in solo, group and online exhibitions at international galleries in Oman Norway, China, and Portugal.

Omani artist Riham Noor Alzadjali is an experimental artist who works with different mediums including painting, photography and digital art. Throughout her artistic process, she explores the use of space, methods and aptitudes that allow artists to freely communicate ideas, stories and messages. Riham has exhibited in Oman, France and Germany and was featured in Kathleen Nejad’s book titled ‘100 Successful Omani Women.’ Recently, her work focused on enabling refugees and emancipating them from charitable organisations. She co-founded for that purpose the ‘Art with Refugees’ initiative, a traveling exhibition of artworks by refugees and artists. Works from the initiative were exhibited across the globe, helping raise awareness of the plight of refugees, particularly in Greece.

About the Curator

Growing up between Muscat, Lugano and London, Rasmia was exposed to diverse cultural influences and has developed a strong ability to transform a common space into an exceptional experience through art. She is a fiend for aesthetics, with an eye for styles that do not twin exactly but tie beautifully. Rasmia is keen on artworks that endow Western references with a local flavour. Her vast personal collection bridges the divide between East and West and includes works from contemporary artists engaged in the depiction of the Arab World and the interpretation of Eastern culture through different mediums. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Media Communications from Regent College in London and qualified from Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland in the areas of Curating and Law.