Iqraa
Latest Works by Somaya Abdulghani at Albareh Art Gallery
Under the patronage of Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director General, Arts and Culture, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Albareh Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Iqraa, an exhibition of works by Bahraini artist Somaya Abdulghani. The opening reception will be held at 7 p.m. at its Adliya location on Tuesday 9th, January, 2018.
Somaya Abdulghani's Iqraa is a reflection on her ongoing spiritual journey. Iqraa, the first word revealed to Prophet Mohammed, is a command. In its most basic literal sense, it means Read. However, as the first word of the Holy Quran, its resonance is amplified exponentially. It is Islam's call to knowledge, making it imperative for every Muslim to seek to understand the world he or she lives in. Abdulghani has chosen this as a title for her exhibition, both as a signifier of embracing the command to seek knowledge herself, and as a reminder and inspiration to the viewer to do the same.
Abdulghani's work is abstract with a minimalistic palette of subtle earthy tones on black and white. The shapes of white birds predominate in most works. The birds are people - individuals going about their day-to-day lives, the artist explains. Their widespread wings signify fast movements, perhaps the rat race in which many people live. Long strands of thread hang from the canvases, some tangled others smooth. As we go about our lives, Abdulghani notes, we constantly generate and use knowledge. It is this knowledge that is represented by the threads that the birds fly through. She continues to reflect on the enduring nature of this knowledge, outlasting those who created it, and to marvel at its malleability, as well as our ability to use it for either good or evil.
Somaya Abdulghani was born in Bahrain in 1970. She works in a variety of media including collage, photography and mixed media. She strives to introduce Islam's theological and philosophical beauty to her audience, by developing delicate, rhythmic and organic patterns in her art; attempting to mirror nature's simplicity.'
Abdulghani's work has been exhibited in Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Turkey, India, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. She has participated in a number of events including Almakan Symposium in Tunisia, a group exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Art Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi Art. Her work is in the collections of the Bahrain National Museum and Maraya Art Centre in the UAE.
Iqraa will remain open till 30th January, 2018.
For more information, please contact:
Email: art@albareh.com
Tel: (+973) 17717707