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Consul General Opens Cultural Envoy’s Exhibit in Dubai
On March 18, U.S. Consul General Paul Sutphin opened the exhibit “Landscapes” by California artist Nasreen Haroon at the Mirage Islamic Art Center in Dubai. The exhibit is part of a three city tour during which the artist is showcasing her works and offering Master Classes on landscape painting in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Master Classes are funded through the Department of State’s Cultural Envoy program. Approximately sixty guests, artists and contacts from local institutions and universities attended the Dubai exhibition opening.
Last week, Cultural Envoy Nasreen Haroon offered a series of Master Painting classes to High School and College art students as well as art teachers at the Sharjah Institute of Art. During the sessions, the artist presented a slide presentation showing the objects that inspired the paintings and explained modes of artistic expression and the liberty to choose and modify the painted object. The slide show was followed by a hands-on painting exercise with oil colors.
The California artist’s work combines inspiration from her Muslim roots with the physical environment and harmony of Southern California, presenting an intriguing palette of vibrant hues with the magnificent play of shadows and light offered by nature. The artist encouraged students to allow their inspiration to guide their artistic expression, stressing that paintings should resonate with one’s feelings rather than follow any particular rule.
Nasreen Haroon’s 24 oil paintings will be on display at the Miraj Islamic Art Center from March 18 through 22 and will then move to Abu Dhabi’s Women’s College, where they can be viewed from March 25 through 29. The artist will teach Master classes in each location.
The exhibits and workshops are organized through the U.S. Consulate General Dubai’s Public Affairs Office and the U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi’s American Center for Press and Cultural Affairs, in generous cooperation with the Department of State’s Bureau for Cultural and Educational Affairs, the Miraj Islamic Art Center in Dubai and the Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi Women’s College