SLICE OF (THIS) LIFE

Complicated, challenging, utterly unprecedented – everything about 2020 has left the human race facing uncertainty and feeling socially isolated, and reflecting these dynamics is The Great Lockdown Exhibition at Bin Matar House, Shaikh Ebrahim Center for Culture and Research. But let’s backtrack.

Grotesque Hala Al Khalifa – Oil on canvas – 300x100cm

Back in July, when Shaikh Ebrahim Center for Culture and Research called on Bahrain-based artists to submit artworks created during the recent lockdown for display at The Great Lockdown Exhibition, the FACT team knew this was something worth keeping an eye on – and we were right. Of the over 100 submissions, 40 artists were selected, with mediums ranging from photography and mixed media to installation, sculpture, print, and painting. Today, there are close to 80 artworks on display, many by recognisable names like Camille Zakaria, Hala Al Khalifa, Hisham Sharif, Ishaq Madan, and more. Oh, and a sneak peek awaits on the pages ahead.

As for themes recurring most frequently in the artworks submitted? “Artists submitted a wide variety of subjects in a range of media from abstract to figurative works, contemplative to direct commentary on the current COVID-19 situation. Themes of hope mix with the despair of isolation,” explains Director of Art and Exhibitions Programming Melissa EndersBhatia, who curated the exhibition remotely from her home office in Singapore. “This is sometimes met with humour, which can heal and relieve like no other emotion – as is the case in Bananas by Khalid Al Abbas, for example.” Melissa tells FACT that the most prominent theme is that of social isolation due to the pandemic. “This is reflected in the likes of Time Will Tell by Ishaq Madan and Metamorphosis by Ria Torrente. Still lifes and delicate artworks featuring elements of nature seem to reflect a time spent reconnecting to more solitary spaces of both the home and the natural world. Areej Rajab and Noor Al Saraifi’s beautiful abstract paintings, meanwhile, start the exhibition on a note of hope.”

Because he who has hope has everything, right? ✤

Planning – Jaffar AlOraibi – Mixed media on paper – 94.5x150cm
Cycle of Life – Aysha Hafuz – Stone – 60x36cm
Dear Diary – Asma Murad Fine art paper 30.5×21.5cm
Stay Home, Stay Safe – Ishaq Madan Fine art print on paper 52x42cm
Manifestation – Hisham Sharif – Acrylic and Charcoal on Paper – 42x30cm
Metamorphosis (A Portrait of A Solitary Woman) – Ria Torrente – Photographic print on archival paper – 50x25cm

The Great Lockdown Exhibition will run until January 31, 2021.