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This season, Sharjah Art Foundation, in collaboration with Sharjah Museums Authority, presents a solo exhibition of works by artist Adam Henein (b. 1929, Cairo). Opening on 21 September and running through 16 November 2019 at Sharjah Art Museum, Lasting Impressions: Adam Henein is a sweeping survey of the artist’s sculptures and paintings from the 1950s until today.
This show marks the tenth edition of Sharjah Art Museum’s annual Lasting Impressions exhibition series, which highlights the work and practice of influential regional artists and their contributions to Arab art. This series has successfully provided a platform for as well as shed light locally, regionally and internationally on pioneering artists from across the region.
‘In his sculptures and paintings from the 1950s until today, Adam Henein has created timeless works using simple lines and abstract forms that draw on universal themes and ancient Egyptian symbols and heritage,’ said Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation. ‘This major survey of Henein’s works continues Sharjah Art Foundation’s mission of celebrating notable artistic voices and their contributions to modern and contemporary art.’
‘Since its inception in 2010, the aim of the annual Lasting Impressions exhibition series has aligned perfectly with Sharjah Museums Authority’s goals of fostering a culture of art appreciation and learning among all members of the UAE community,’ said Manal Ataya, Director-General of Sharjah Museums Authority. ‘In its tenth edition this year, we are pleased to offer art lovers an insight into the works of one of the most outstanding sculptors in the Arab world, Egyptian artist Adam Henein, who has translated his love and yearning for his homeland through his artistic practice over the course of six decades.’
Widely recognised as one of the most prominent sculptors in the Arab world, Henein employs techniques that are informed by his cultural background, and works with a variety of materials, including granite, bronze, plaster, wood, clay, limestone and terracotta. Through the use of simple lines and minimalist, abstract forms, the artist interlaces universal themes such as motherhood and prayer with references to ancient Egyptian icons such as pyramids and hieroglyphs to create elegant, modern sculptures of various sizes and mediums.
In addition to his sculptural works, Henein’s paintings are also inspired by his heritage. The artist revives ancient Egyptian practices by painting on papyrus sheets with natural pigments mixed with gum Arabic as well as by employing the traditional technique of fresco on plaster.
Born into a family of metalworkers and silversmiths, Henein joined Cairo’s School of Fine Arts before moving to Munich and then Paris. After 25 years of living and working in Europe, the artist returned to Egypt in 1996, where he continues to live and work between Cairo and Aswan.
Curated by Sheikha Noora Al Mualla, this exhibition is free and open to the public and has been generously supported by The Elias Collection. For more information, visit sharjahart.org.
This exhibition is part of Sharjah Art Foundation’s autumn season. Also opening this month on 27 September are the exhibitions Akram Zaatari: Against Photography. An Annotated History of the Arab Image Foundation and the second annual Air Arabia Curator in Residence Exhibition ’32: The Rescore. The three September shows will be followed by the openings of the exhibitions Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian: Sunset, Sunrise, Bani Abidi: Funland, and March Project 2019 Exhibition (12 October); Marwan Rechmaoui: Slanted Squares (2 November); and SHARJAPAN2 (20 December). This season will also see the second editions of the annual art book fair FOCAL POINT and the annual film festival Sharjah Film Platform (SFP).