Sculptors’ forum in Nufoon concludes
The Nufoon Sculptors Forum, which is part of Amad Duqm 22, concluded in the Special Economic Zone in Duqm. The event was attended by sculptors from Spain, Germany, Bulgaria, Romania and Tunisia and Oman. The sculptors came out with wonderful marble art forms that mimic the geological nature of Duqm.
Khalil bin Salim al Kalbani, one of the sculptors participating in the forum, expressed his happiness over his association with international sculptors.
“I presented a sculpture entitled ‘From the Periphery to the Self ’. The idea that I wanted to convey through this work is related to the reality we live in,” he said.
“I relied on the overlapping linear movement and employing the aesthetics of mass and void to express man and his suffering during Covid-19 and beyond. There are many concepts that need a clear explanation that we may all disagree on. There is no definitive indication or a clear and direct concept from which we can derive certain information. Social media platforms broadcast daily pictures and messages and a huge amount of information. This situation does not make us differentiate between malicious rumours and correct information. We live in a very big state of interference and ambiguity, and everyone is still searching for the truth,” he added.
Calligrapher-sculptor Mohamed Sahnoun, a professor at the Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts from Tunisia, said his sculpture was inspired from Arabic calligraphy and the rock garden in the Special Economic Zone in Duqm.
The German sculptor, Klaus Hesnicker, presented an artwork consisting of 3 pieces that reflect life.
“The idea of his sculpture is that things start with a foundation and base on which they are based and then grow and develop with the passage of time. This is like the lifecycle of trees that begins with a seed we plant in the ground,” he said.
Ana Maria Negara from Romania presented a wonderful 3-metre-high artistic sculpture that reflects the movement of water from the bottom of the earth and upwards through its fine details.
The Sculptor Forum drew school students and members of the Omani Women’s Association in Duqm. Participants expressed their admiration for the aesthetics of these sculptures, which will be transferred to decorate a number of sites in the Special Economic Zone in Duqm.
The village of Nufoon also received many tourists and visitors to see the sculptures that reflect the geological nature of the Sultanate of Oman.
The participating sculptors produced works of art of different sizes, ranging in height from 2-3 metres. The forum also included workshops by the sculptors to introduce visitors from the local community, employees of companies operating in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, and school students to the art of sculpture and the works executed in the forum.