The Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Heritage is pleased to announce the opening art exhibition for its 38th cultural season –“Where Shall We Sit” by Mohamed Sharkawy. The exhibition opens at the Bin Matar House on Sunday, 16 October 2016 at 7pm.
“Where Shall We Sit” is a celebration of the artistic spirit through the joyful works of Mohamed Sharkawi. With works on canvas, murals, video and installation, the artist examines the need for respite and belonging in these times of uncertainty.
On the exhibition
The title of the exhibition references the innate need of human beings to for social but also emotional belonging, especially in times of uncertainty and flux. Referencing his native village in Egypt, Sharkawy recalls a simple and joyful childhood –a childhood spent close to nature and with simple comforts, where gatherings of friends and village members were held in the cool shade of palm trees. This sense of comfort and security is what the artist remembered very vividly when he spent the summer of 2016 at home to Egypt with his family.
In his newest work in this exhition, Sharkawy reduces his usually exuberant color palette to just simple black, and white, with blue and red accents. The result is a somewhat more sombre mood, reflecting the artist’s current state of mind.
The exhibition will showcase artworks by the artist as works on canvas, murals and video.
About the artist
Mohamed Sharkawy uses simplified forms, flat colors and clearly defined shapes to render images that have a universal appeal. Each form and figure are purposely deduced to the essentials; what is left is an image that is reminiscent of Egyptian wall painting- of a time of language through symbolism, where the focus was the message, rather than unnecessary details. Unadorned and unaffected, his work is a vision of childlike simplicity. Yet, what we witness is not naivety but rather an astute ability to communicate the fundamentals of life, rid of pretense and negativity – in a language for all to appreciate.
Mohamed Sharkawy (born 1982 in Naga Hamadi,Egypt) began painting in 2000. His exposure to a variety of artists’ styles and approaches led to the development of his own visual vocabulary.
He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in venues including the Townhouse Gallery (Cairo, Egypt) and Al Riwaq Art Space (Manama, Bahrain). Sharkawy lives and works in Bahrain.
Exhibition venue, dates and timings
The exhibition Where Shall We Sit will be held at the Bin Matar House in Muharraq. The exhibition previews on Sunday, 16 October 2016, at 7pm and runs until 26 November 2016.
The opening hours of the Bin Matar House are Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 1pm and 4 to 7pm.
The Bin Matar House is arestored traditional Bahraini building and one of over twenty houses restored by the Shaikh Ebrahim Center for Culture and Research in Muharraq and Manama, Bahrain. For further information on the Shaikh Ebrahim Center and the Bin Matar House, please visit our website, www.shaikhebrahimcenter.org.