Exhibition Which Explores Modern Palestinian Art Movement Opens In Sharjah

A new exhibition which explores and celebrates the modern Palestinian art movement, and examines its social impact, has opened at the Sharjah Art Museum.

SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Oct, 2018) A new exhibition which explores and celebrates the modern Palestinian art movement, and examines its social impact, has opened at the Sharjah Art Museum.

Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Executive Chairman of the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah has inaugurated ‘Lasting Impressions’, which was organised by the Sharjah Museums Authority, and will run until 15th December.

Members of the public are invited to discover a collection of modernist paintings by two of the most important figures in the movement, the late Ismail Shammout and his widow, Tamam El-Akhal.

The latest in the long-running ‘Lasting Impressions’ series features around 70 paintings chosen for their artistic, cultural and political significance.

Shammout and El-Akhal have used their talents to draw the world’s attention to the plight of the Palestinian people through their paintings for more than 50 years.

Both artists lived through the ‘Nakba’, the forced resettlement of Palestinians in 1948. As such, their art reflects not only the ‘Nakba’ but also more recent changes that have had a marked effect on the social fabric of the country.

The artists met while studying art in Cairo before marrying in 1959. Their work has been displayed separately and in joint exhibits around the globe, cementing their status as key figures in Palestine’s cultural heritage and history.

Twelve years after his death at the age of 76, Shammout remains a powerful influence on middle Eastern artists. El-Akhal, an important and prolific artist in her own right, has retained her late husband’s artworks. Key pieces have been loaned to the Sharjah Art Museum from the family’s private collection.

Also on display in the exhibition are two short films, one of which was produced by Shammout in 1973. It was thought to have been lost to the public after it was seized in 1982 only for a copy to be discovered years later.

Since the inaugural exhibition held nine years ago, the ‘Lasting Impressions’ series at the Sharjah Art Museum has sought to exhibit works by prominent established artists and showcasing their important artistic journey throughout the years.

Manal Ataya, Director-General of Sharjah Museums Authority, said, "Throughout their artistic journey, Ismail Shammout and his wife Tamam El-Akhal strived to keep the Palestinian struggle in the spotlight through their artworks. The issues of statehood and political freedom are addressed skillfully and are especially poignant to Arab audiences.

"This exhibition marks the first time that an edition of ‘Lasting Impressions’ is showing work by two artists simultaneously. However, such is the synergy that exists between Shammout and El-Akhal, both in the essential work they produced and in their lives together, that this unique exhibition displays their work together."