Opening today in UAE: Art tribute to Emirates’ fallen soldiers

Each artist has an individual style of creating their works, which is often inspired by the artists they idolise.

Taking inspiration from the works of iconic artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso, 20 artists in the UAE created artworks that salute the sacrifice of the country’s fallen soldiers.

Titled Artist Ancestors, their virtual exhibition is set to open at 5pm today, paying tribute to the heroes who gave up their lives defending their homeland — “from the 20-year-old Salem Suhail bin Khamis, who was the first Emirati soldier to die in the line of duty, to the ambassador who was assassinated in 1984, outside his apartment in Paris”, as one artist described it.

Each artist has an individual style of creating their works, which is often inspired by the artists they idolise. “The works of three artists with different styles that give me goosebumps are Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keeffe. And there are many others, whose works leave me absolutely cold. I was certain that many artists feel the same way,” said Jesno Jackson, curator-designer for the exhibition, and founder of Art4you Gallery.

The work of 16 artists — including Paul Klee, George Seurat, Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Raja Ravi Varma, Jackson Pollock, Edvard Munch, Paul Gauguin, Juan Gris, Jack Dale, and S.H. Raza — made up for the inspiration board. The exhibition’s overall theme was Commemoration Day, which was marked yesterday.

“My painting is a tribute to the brave warriors, which I have depicted in Vincent van Gogh style,” said the Indian artist Mankush Srivastava. Inspired by Monet, Filipino artist Yvonne Comilang’s work reminds one of the strokes of impressionism.

The exhibition will run until the end of the month.

purva@khaleejtimes.com