‘Essence of Oman’ art exhibition depicts Omani society and culture

The exhibition showcases different kinds of works of Pragya Bhatnagar and Erica Barrow, at Al Majlis Art Café, City Seasons Hotel in Al Khuwair

MUSCAT: Malak Al Shaibani, director general, National Business Centre, inaugurated the art exhibition ‘Essence of Oman’ recently.

The exhibition showcases different kinds of works of Pragya Bhatnagar and Erica Barrow, at Al Majlis Art Café, City Seasons Hotel, Al Khuwair, Muscat. The chief guest, Malak Al Shaibani, praised the paintings depicting the Omani society and culture and appreciated the two artists for their excellent creative concepts.

Pragya is making a name for herself with her versatile work. She likes to dabble in different mediums. “My work on display reflects my wonderful experience of living in Oman since 2005. I have made portraits of certain Omani faces that have been etched in my memory. The piercing eyes of a young woman, wrinkles on the face of an old man and the innocent face of a young girl… you will observe in my portraits are inspired by real-life experiences in Oman. Secondly, I have also displayed the beautiful landscapes of the Sultanate in abstract forms using multiple layers of paints with mixed media technique which is becoming quite popular among the practitioners of contemporary art across the globe,” she said.

In the past, her work has been exhibited and sold in prominent public platforms including Bait Al Zubair, Opera Galleria, Oman Society for Fine Arts, Oman International Exhibition Centre, Grand Hyatt, etc. in Muscat as well as Twitter Art Exhibition, New York. Her work will also be exhibited in the upcoming World Art Dubai 2018 this month. She has done Diploma of Excellence (Art) from The Drawing Academy, London.

On the other hand, Erica Barrow is a self-taught artist exhibiting her work for the first time. While talking about her passion for art, Erica said, “Most of my work is inspired by the local culture, as my art is an interpretation of what I see and feel around me. In addition, I have a very special attachment to Oman – it is my home away from home. For this exhibition, the inspiration comes from the colours, landscape and architecture. The series of doodles have been based on the interiors of the beautiful Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the colours in each centre have been taken from the mosaic, carpets and design elements within the mosque. Each intricate design has been embellished with Swarovski elements. The mixed media abstracts reflect the colours of the natural landscape and vibrant souqs of Oman.”

Erica’s diverse body of work is displayed in homes as well in Oman as well as India, America and Sweden. “It gives me great pride when varied people feel that my work will fit in their personal spaces as it means my art reaches out to a wide audience,” she added.

The exhibition has attracted a good response from the art lovers. The art collectors, professional and amateur artists, art students and public attended the launch event. The exhibition will remain open to the public until April 30.