The Majlis Gallery continues its 25th anniversary celebrations with “The Art of Sculpture” — a show that brings together works by leading contemporary sculptors Cristiano Aliviti, Denise Dutton, Hannes Loots, Jamal Abdul Rahim, Judith Holmes Drewry, Karel Zijlstra, Lloyd Le Blanc, Michael Chaikin, Mustafa Ali and Sanna Swart. Many of these sculptors have been exhibiting their work at the gallery for many years, while some are showcasing their work in the UAE for the first time.
In typical Majlis Gallery style, the artworks are spread all across the rooms and the courtyard of the restored wind-tower house. As soon as you step into the courtyard, you see Drewry’s life-size sculpture of a woman, sitting in a garden chair, engrossed in a book.
Ali’s bronze and walnut wood sculptures of trees occupy one corner of the courtyard, while Chaikin’s brass and Perspex mobiles, suspended from a tree, move gently in the breeze. In the living room turned exhibition hall, a bronze cat by Abdul Rahim is curled up on a sofa, surrounded by Dutton’s sculptures of horses, Zijlstra’s angelic figures and many other works.
“We are fortunate to represent ten of the best sculptors in the world today. Many of them were here for our 25th anniversary celebrations in November last year, and it was delightful to see them getting along so well and keen to share their knowledge and ideas with each other,” says Alison Collins, founder of the gallery.
The camaraderie between them, inspired Collins to do this group show. The common link between these sculptors is that they all work with bronze, but each has a distinct style.
“Hence, the works in this show range from large scale pieces to small sculptures costing less than Dh1000; from life-like figurative works to contemplative abstract pieces; and from classical Renaissance-style sculptures to contemporary kinetic pieces. I hope this show will give visitors a better appreciation of this art form, which dates back to prehistoric times, and is extremely physical and complex, with over 16 stages involved in transforming a clay mould into a polished and waxed bronze work,” Collins said.
Italian sculptor Alviti is making his debut in the UAE with a series of Renaissance-inspired figurative sculptures, whose raw, unfinished look enhances their appeal. On the other hand, South African Swart revels in recreating every minute detail of various endangered species of sea creatures in her tiny, highly polished sculptures.
Loots and Chaikin are both doctors who have now become full-time sculptors. South African Loots is known for his delightful bronze sculptures of dogs, sheep, goats, donkeys and other animals, a collection of which is showcased in the exhibition. Briton Chaikin experiments with different types of materials and movements using wind, steam power, hand cranks and electric motors to create kinetic sculptures.
Bahraini artist Abdul Rahim’s relationship with the gallery goes back to the 1990s, when he began exhibiting his etchings, lithographs, drawings and paintings. The artist has chosen to focus on sculpture during his prime years, fearing that he might not have the strength needed for sculpting in his later years. He works with bronze, stone, marble and precious metals to create figurative and abstract pieces.
“Stone is already beautiful, and it inspires me to bring out the forms hidden within its natural beauty. On the other hand, the bronze technique allows me to freely express my own ideas, and make all the refinements to the mould until I reach exactly what I want,” he says.
Ali’s association with the gallery also goes back two decades. The renowned Syrian sculptor has recently returned to Damascus after living abroad for many years, and continues to take inspiration from his culture and Mesopotamian mythology to create his deeply philosophical pieces. In his “Tree of life” series, exhibited in this show, sculpted bronze trees of various sizes and colours are mounted on found pieces of walnut and pine wood. These include olive trees, a tree of fortune with leaves shaped like medieval gold coins, and one with branches in the form of intertwined human figures, symbolising life and togetherness.
“I have always been inspired by the concept of the ‘tree of life’, which is a symbol of fertility, eternity and life. The wood is an important part of these sculptures, symbolising the earth and the essence of life, in which the trees are rooted. The tiny bronze specks embedded in the wood represent the seeds of life,” Ali says.
The artist is also showcasing “The Falling” series where the out of balance figures are a metaphor for the present socio-political situation in the region.
The Majlis Gallery first exhibited the work of British sculptor Le Blanc and his late wife Drewry in 1997 at the New Orientalists exhibition, which was the first major exhibition the gallery organised in the UAE. Le Blanc has developed the old farm buildings of their home in England to house a bronze foundry, workshops and studios. He handles every stage of the sculpting process himself, and his deep knowledge of the technicalities of metal has enabled him to push the limits of his medium in terms of scale and creativity.
While he likes to make sculptures of birds, animals and plants, Drewry specialized in figurative sculptures that were inspired by people she knew, and those she was commissioned to portray. Signature works by both artists are part of this show.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.
‘The Art of Sculpture’ will run at The Majlis Gallery, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood until April 30.
