On August 15, Sheikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director General of Rubu’ Qarn for Creating Leaders and Innovators, officially opened the exhibition “Rooted Patterns: Contemporary Emirati Narratives” at the Aswar Art Centre in Sharjah. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the centre’s co-founders, Salem Aljunibi and Dr. Noha Farran, alongside a prominent group of cultural figures. Notable attendees included Abu Bakr Al Kindi of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Abdulhamid Al Yasi from Sharjah Youth, Sheikha Al Shamsi of Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, Prof. Joe Colistra of the American University of Sharjah, and Maha Al Sebai of the Dubai Business Group for Gold & Jewellery Designers. Emirati artists Dr. Najat Makki and Mona Al Khaja were also present to support the exhibition, which serves as the culmination of an eight-week educational program titled “Creative Methodologies: From Personal Narratives to Artistic Practice.”
This program was designed by Aswar to bridge the gap between artistic research and professional exhibition opportunities, helping six Emirati women artists refine their individual visual languages. The featured artists are Amna Albanna, Amna Alketbi, Elyazia Aljassmi, Muna Bin Suloum, Nouf Aldurs, and Sara Albannay. According to Salem Aljunibi, the exhibition examines how personal narratives and memory intersect with cultural heritage. By reinterpreting familiar environmental and historical references, these artists offer diverse perspectives on how Emirati identity manifests within the contemporary art scene.
Dr. Noha Farran noted that the exhibition treats patterns as living traces of memory, drawing inspiration from traditional elements such as sadu weaving, embroidery, and ornamentation. She explained that for these artists, heritage serves as a foundational reference point that allows for the creation of new narratives relevant to the UAE today. The collection fosters a dialogue between the past and the present, exploring how heritage can be preserved while its meanings are continuously renewed through modern artistic practice.
The individual works on display showcase a wide range of conceptual approaches. Amna Albanna’s “The Bee-eater and Childhood Memory” uses the blue-cheeked bee-eater as a recurring motif across paintings and bronze-toned sculptures to explore themes of protection and belonging. Sara Albannay’s “A World in a Marble” and “Memory in Orbit” transform simple childhood marbles into vessels for imagination and storytelling. Meanwhile, Amna Alketbi’s “When Pillows Were Mountains” and “Stories Between the Squares” use domestic objects like pillows and sweets to reveal the imaginative power inherent in everyday life.
Nouf Aldurs draws on the natural world in “The Al Adheed Plant and Inner Light,” using the plant’s growth cycle as a metaphor for human resilience and transformation. Elyazia Aljassmi focuses on floral motifs in works such as “Blooming in the Ether,” “Between Beauty and the Wall,” and “Emergence Amid the Ashes” to represent hope and renewal. Muna bin Suloum’s installation, “Roots, Light and Memory,” utilizes tree trunks and materials like gold and metal to explore stability and connection to the land, inviting viewers to engage with the work through both physical interaction and poetic fragments.
The exhibition highlights a broader trend in the region where historical architecture and local heritage are increasingly integrated with avant-garde expression. As noted by the Danielle Peleg Art Gallery, art that engages with cultural heritage often resonates deeply with audiences, fostering empathy and collective memory. By repurposing traditional techniques like metalwork and weaving into modern installations, these artists ensure that heritage remains a living conversation rather than a static relic. As an independent institution, Aswar Art Centre continues to support this mission by providing a platform for artistic production, research, and cultural dialogue in Sharjah.
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