Sharjah: The late photojournalist Noor Ali Rashid, who served as royal photographer to Shaikh Zayed, is being honoured through the fifth ‘Lasting Impression’ exhibition, which will showcase his work at the Sharjah Art Museum from October 22 to December 6.
The exhibition was inaugurated on Wednesday by Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, attended the inauguration.
Through his work over seven decades (1929-2010), Rashid, who is considered the father of photojournalism in the Middle East, accumulated a portfolio of more than a million images documenting everyday scenes and extraordinary historic events in the UAE’s history.
Walking through the exhibition, you can get a glimpse of how the UAE, its people and Rulers lived before the federation was formed.
The exhibition has been installed in three thematic sections to showcase the breadth of the photographer’s extraordinary career. ‘Life As It Was’ nostalgically depicts a slow paced way of life in the 1960’s markets, in the desert and even on the water. ‘Building of a Nation’ documents the formative years of the UAE, from the Trucial States years through the federation era. The third section, ‘A Glimpse of the World’, displays never before viewed photographs from Rashid’s international expeditions to around 35 countries.
Shamsa Noor Ali Rashid, Rashid’s daughter and chairperson of the Noor Ali Rashid Archives, told Gulf news that her father was a very passionate photographer.
“I live to be as passionate as he was. He expressed great desire that his work be presented to the public, and this exhibition celebrates more than half a decade’s efforts to preserve and catalogue his images and make that dream come to pass,” she said.
The Lasting Impressions series was conceived in 2010 as a platform to showcase the works and recognize remarkable artists from the UAE and the wider region, who over the span of their lifelong practices, have influenced the landscape of Arab art and left behind a moving legacy.
Manal Ataya, director-general of Sharjah Museums Department, said: “The UAE community looks forward to the opening of Lasting Impressions 2014 edition, which presents Noor Ali Rashid’s poignant photographs which will give unparalleled glimpses into the rich history of the UAE. The story of his inspirational life presented here is a gift to us all. ”
