The artist is showcasing more than 30 artworks in which she portrays ancient stories through her use of materials related to the environment and Omani heritage from a bygone era.
An Art exhibition “A Fragment of Feelings” by artist Zahra Al-Ghatrifi opened at the Gallery Sarah, Muscat. under the patronage of the Honorable Lujaina Bint Mohsen Darwish, Member of the State Council, on Monday, March 7
The exhibition will continue until April 7 at the Gallery Sarah- Bait Al Zubair every day from Saturday to Thursday, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm,
The artist is showcasing more than 30 artworks in which she portrays ancient stories through her use of materials related to the environment and Omani heritage from a bygone era. And in doing so is able to transform her narrative into something contemporary with the striking use of both earthy and vibrant colours.
Artist Zahra has been a member of the Oman society of Fine Arts (OSFA) since 2003, and has participated in almost all the exhibitions of OSFA and The Omani Youth Studio as well.
It is also worth mentioning that the artist has won many local awards and her works are in the collection of government and private institutions as well as individuals.
Zahra Ghatrifi says: “The quarantine period definitely had a positive impact, especially for artists, because we had a lot of time and isolation to reflect creatively and come up with something new and different
Personally my creations, a series of artworks based on nostalgic memories, are made from fragments, of wood, fabric, debris and other materials that I had collected from my father’s old house in the village of Al-Aqar, Nizwa. All these separate pieces of material carried with them memories and stories of intrinsic values that deserve to be told.”
The artist adds: “We humans are a group of feelings from our past that reflects what we are in now”.
In some of her works, the artist employed the remains of an old tool she had taken from her father’s farm called Al-Manjour; It is a serrated wooden wheel that rotates around an axis called (Hataba Al-Manjour), where the animal is constantly dragging the rope back and forth in an inclined path in front of the well
“A Fragment of Feelings” is a wonderful attempt by the artist to highlight the values and achievements of the old generation, and bring back to life the stories of the she brought back stories from the past.
Laila Muhammad Al-Najjar- exhibition curator- said “The use of the Al Manjour has a philosophical and profound human dimension more than just using it in the artwork as an ancient material.
The artist sheds light on the simple and primitive man’s thought at that time in finding smart and creative solutions to improve life in the manufacture, and creative thought in the design and engineering of Al Manjour.
The artist has been able to convey the feeling and sentiments of that age and time by presenting the subject in a contemporary artistic style. To create a realistic ambience of he past oil lamps instead of electric lights were used.
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