Past Residents
Past Resident2013: Al-Riwaq Art Space
Mohamed Sharkawy
Mohamed Sharkawy uses minimalist 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 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 and Al Riwaq Art Space, Bahrain. Sharkawy lives and works in Bahrain.
Events & Exhibitions
Salon: Jaffar Al Oraibi, Waheeda Malullah and Mohamed Sharkawy
August 27, 2013
Mohamed Sharkawy.
Mohamed Sharkawy.
Mohamed Sharkawy.
Mohamed Sharkawy.
Residents from Bahrain
Past Resident2013: Al-Riwaq Art Space
Waheeda Malullah
Although Waheeda Malullah’s output is video and photography, her practice is conceptual with an emphasis on the elements of play. Recently, she has been exploring gender equality and women in the Middle East that pursue a different lifestyle- sometimes breaking social rules and bringing her own identity into question.
Waheeda Mulullah (born 1978) studied Advertising and Marketing at the Riam Institute, Bahrain and currently works as graphic designer at Bahrain University. She has been supported in Bahrain by Al Riwaq Art Space. She was an artist in residence at venues including the Townhouse Gallery, Cairo and Delfina Foundation, London. She has participated in many local and international exhibitions including the 2013 Venice Biennale.
Events & Exhibitions
Salon: Jaffar Al Oraibi, Waheeda Malullah and Mohamed Sharkawy
August 27, 2013
Waheeda Malullah, A Villager's Day Out, 2008, Digital photo. Courtesy of the artist.
Waheeda Malullah, Colored Photograph, 2009, Digital photo.
Waheeda Malullah, Out, 2013, Digital photo.
Waheeda Malullah, Red and White, 2011, Digital photo.
Waheeda Malullah, Construction, 2013, Video, 6:39 min. Courtesy of the artist.
Residents from Bahrain
Past Resident2013: Christa von Siemens Foundation, Brigitte Henninger Art
Mojé Assefjah
In her paintings, Mojé Assefjah develops her own distinctive visual language. The broad, arching bands of color exploit the picture space in all directions and the brush strokes entwine themselves delicately yet dynamically across the picture carrier with characteristic chromaticity, becoming denser and overlapping as they lead the viewer’s gaze to deeper levels. By applying multiple thin layers using the almost-forgotten egg tempera technique and India ink, the artist produces color effects which evoke the Italian frescoes of the early Renaissance. The lush hues of the darker loops in the foreground of the picture contrast with the chalky tonality of the background. Although the artist is committed to non-representative painting, her pictures nonetheless convey a feeling of spatiality and conjure up associations with landscapes. Assefjah’s pictorial worlds are characterized by lightness and structural density, with the alternation of transparency and opacity, daytime and darkness creating a mysterious and atmospheric quality.
Mojé Assefjah (born 1970 in Tehran) moved to Munich, Germany where she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts 1999. She was awarded for Fine Arts of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, as well as the annual scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for a residency in Rome. Recent exhibitions include Down To The River, Galerie Graf & Schelble, Basel; Art Dubai, Gallery Tanit, Beirut, 2013; Galerie Nanna Preußners, Hamburg, 2012; A vista d’ occhio, Galerie Tanit, Munich, 2011; Water for my flower…, Espace Kettaneh Kunigk, Beirut, 2010 and L’ Iran sans frontières, Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, 2009. Assefjah is represented by Gallery Tanit, Munich/Beirut; Gallery Graf & Schelble, Basel and Gallery Nanna Preußners, Hamburg.
Events & Exhibitions
Salon: Mojé Assefjah and Yang Yeung
August 6, 2013
Mojé Assefjah, Beyond the River, 2013, Egg-tempera on canvas, 271/2 × 393/8 in. (69.85 × 100.08 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Mojé Assefjah, Blackbird's Song, 2011, Egg-tempera on canvas, 271/2 × 393/8 in. (69.85 × 100.08 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Mojé Assefjah, 2011. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Tanit, Munich.
