Latest news with #StalGallery&Studio
Observer
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
Stal Gallery's summer exhibition explores confluence of cultural memory and modern identity
Stal Gallery & Studio has officially opened its annual summer exhibition, Summer 2025: The Contemporary Perspective, inviting the public into a vibrant conversation about Oman's evolving artistic identity. The exhibition, which runs until 31 August at the gallery's space in Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, showcases works by seven Omani artists—each exploring the complex intersections of memory, place, and personal expression. The exhibition draws from a wide palette of mediums and artistic approaches. From abstract painting and mixed-media installations to textile-based pieces and narrative collages, the works reflect a deeply personal yet collectively resonant engagement with the past and present. The exhibition explores a cultural moment where Oman's past and present are in constant dialogue. Each artist brings a distinct emotional frequency, shaped by their materials and their relationship to identity, memory, and landscape. Together, their voices build a mosaic that speaks not only to the soul of the region but to the universal impulse to preserve and reinterpret who we are. Among the featured artists is H.H Sayyida Afra Talal Al Said, whose work is being exhibited at Stal Gallery for the first time. Her debut marks a significant moment, not only in her personal artistic journey but within the larger context of contemporary art in Oman. In Shades of Oman, she introduces a series of mixed-media paintings that blend traditional Omani fabrics with the natural motif of palm frond shadows—a familiar sight across the Omani landscape. The layered textures, subtle colour palettes, and fabric integrations offer a meditative experience for the viewer. Drawing from her deep connection to nature and the textures of local life, her works move between the physical and the emotional, between what is seen and what is remembered. H.H Sayyida Afra Talal Al Said's use of materials is intentional and symbolic. The textiles speak to cultural heritage, while the soft interplay of shadow and colour creates a contemplative atmosphere. Her technique offers a quiet, almost spiritual paints not only what she observes, but what she holds within—memories, landscapes, and emotions filtered through texture and tone. Also featured is Anwar Sonya, a pioneering figure in Oman's contemporary art scene. Known for his bold, expressionist style, Sonya revisits the traditional bullfighting rituals of Mussanah, translating the raw energy and cultural symbolism of these events into powerful, colour-saturated canvases. His work serves as a visual archive, capturing a tradition that is both visceral and deeply rooted in Omani heritage. Idris Al Hooti contributes a quietly nostalgic series titled Mutrah Memories, portraying the subtle textures of Muscat's historic district—palm trees silhouetted against fading buildings, quiet streets imbued with memory. His brushstrokes carry a sense of longing, inviting viewers to reflect on spaces that are disappearing or transforming with time. In contrast, Omani artist Hassan Meer—a pivotal figure in the country's contemporary art scene, with exhibitions both locally and internationally—presents a series of deeply personal impasto paintings that explore themes of identity and metaphysics. Works such as Father and Son and Omani Women Gathering use thick, expressive strokes to convey themes of family, collective memory, and spiritual continuity. Meer's art often delves into the unseen—the emotions and cultural threads that bind generations together. Suha Salim, an emerging voice in the Omani art scene, introduces a new cubist-inspired series titled Distraction. Her fragmented compositions explore the mental and emotional fragmentation of modern life. Through sharp angles, layered geometries, and disjointed forms, her work examines interiority—what lies beneath the surface of daily experience. Hussain Obaid, long regarded for his contributions to Oman's contemporary plastic art movement, returns with compositions rooted in ancient Omani visual symbols. His work layers history with abstraction, inviting viewers to decode motifs drawn from tribal patterns, maritime heritage, and desert iconography. His pieces act as bridges—linking the ancestral past with the visual language of today. Completing the exhibition is the late Moosa Omar, whose final series Hearts of Departed reflects his lifelong engagement with the environment and spirituality. Using jute—a humble material common in Omani crafts—he forms textured, circular compositions that evoke both the physical terrain and the metaphysical. His work is a quiet tribute to memory and loss, grounded in earth tones and tactile presence. Together, the seven artists offer not only a survey of Omani contemporary practice but a shared meditation on themes of identity, place, and transformation. Through their distinct voices, the exhibition captures a moment in time—one that holds space for tradition while embracing innovation. The Contemporary Perspective is more than an art show—it's a living archive of how Oman's artists are responding to the world around them. It's about how they remember, how they reinterpret, and how they imagine what's next. The exhibition is open to the public and free of charge until 31 August 2025, at Stal Gallery & Studio, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat. Visitors are encouraged to experience the full breadth of the works on display—and to engage with the stories embedded in every piece.
Observer
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
How artist Hassan Meer helps shape the landscape of contemporary Omani art
Art plays a crucial role in shaping a nation's identity, reflecting history, preserving traditions, and connecting the past with the present. As Oman undergoes rapid modernisation, art anchors cultural heritage while embracing the future. Hassan Meer's work embodies this dialogue, using contemporary forms to capture a nation in transition. A pioneering Omani contemporary artist and curator, Meer has significantly influenced the Gulf's modern art scene. His work explores memory, spirituality, and cultural identity, ranging from childhood recollections to the echoes of Oman's fading traditions. His video installations, such as The Dream (2001), Reflections from Memories (2013), and Ambiguity (2019), examine the tension between tradition and modernity. Through shifting shadows and fleeting images, he creates spaces where the past lingers, shaping the present in hauntingly beautiful ways. Meer's practice is deeply personal yet universal, capturing how places remember and rituals fade. As a key figure in contemporary Omani art, he has carved out space for conceptual and experimental work at a time when painting and calligraphy dominated, redefining Omani art while preserving cultural memory in new forms. How artist Hassan Meer helps shape the landscape of contemporary Omani art His studies in Austria and at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the U.S. introduced him to installation art, photography, and video, expanding his creative approach. No longer confined to paint and canvas, his work inhabits space, moves through time, and layers meaning. Upon returning to Oman in the late 1990s, he found an art scene with little infrastructure for conceptual work. Instead of conforming, he created his own platform. In 2000, he launched The Circle Show, Oman's first exhibition dedicated to contemporary and conceptual art. This was a turning point, bringing together artists willing to push boundaries and redefining what Omani art could be. Meer's works are quiet and meditative, imbued with longing—reflecting histories that remain beneath the surface, fading rituals, and traces of past lives. His video installations depict blurred figures in abandoned spaces, while his photography captures the textures of ageing buildings, highlighting a world in transition. As Artistic Director of Stal Gallery & Studio, Meer has nurtured emerging Omani artists, providing platforms to experiment and engage in contemporary artistic discourse. Through initiatives like the Stal Young Emerging Art Prize and The Circle of Experimenting Art, he has helped establish a space where conceptual art is not just accepted but encouraged. How artist Hassan Meer helps shape the landscape of contemporary Omani art Internationally, Meer has brought Omani contemporary art to major venues such as the Venice Biennale and Mori Art Museum, introducing Oman's evolving artistic identity to global audiences. In recent years, he has expanded into large-scale installations and public art. His piece The Birth of the Prince, originally an abstract painting, evolved into a monumental sculpture, reflecting his ongoing interest in form, memory, and identity. Meer's legacy lies not only in his work but also in the movement he has helped shape. At a time when contemporary art had little visibility in Oman, he laid the foundation for its growth, challenging identity, memory, and change. Through experimentation, mentorship, and storytelling, he redefined Omani art—not by providing answers but by creating spaces for reflection. His work captures moments of transition, ensuring that the dialogue between the past and present continues to inspire future generations.
