Noun Al Neswa 4th edition
Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 6:44PM The Marsam Mattar Gallery is a hidden gem in the heart of Dubai.
Situated in Al Hudaiba, it was founded by renowned Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej. Attached to the gallery is the recently opened Sketch Art Cafe and the More than Art Training Centre. The gallery’s tranquil setting and outdoor facilities invite the visitor to spend time there, taking in the art before sharing coffee and chatting with friends.
To nurture the creativity of the youth, the centre will provide training courses for children in all aspects of art, and has fully equipped presentation rooms as well as an art supplies store.
Noun Al Neswa is an annual exhibition held in the Marsam Mattar Gallery. It is for female artists and this year’s edition showcased the work of 22 participating artists from various fields.
As one of the participating artists, I was honored to be able to show five of my iPhoneography artworks on wood at the exhibition.
The opening evening on 11 May 2015 was a great success as artists and guests mingled, admiring works and sharing stories.
I had met the Saudi artist, Noor Hisham Al Saif, that morning in the gallery. New bonds of friendship were formed. The two of us were fortunate enough to have Mattar bin Lahej sit with us over coffee in the cafe, sharing stories of his career as an artist and giving us advice about the art world.
Opposite me in the gallery that evening was friend Farah Al Balooshi. It has been a pleasure to get to know Farah. The two of us were delighted when Khalil Abdul Wahid, head of Visual Arts at Dubai Culture and Arts Authority spent some time chatting to us. Khalil is responsible for promoting the culture and arts of Dubai internationally.
Khalil later posted this pic on Instagram which gives a lovely overview of the opening reception.
Beside family and friends from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, also present at the opening was a group of at least 20 instagrammers from the IgersDubai community. It meant a lot to me to have them come along to support the evening.
More photos of the evening can be seen in the album shared on my facebook page.
The exhibition has been extended until 5 June 2015. The Marsam Mattar Gallery is located at Villa 21, 4B Street, Al Hudaiba 322, Dubai.