Diverse Omani environment is a source of inspiration for artists

Oman Wednesday 09/July/2025 19:36 PM
By: Times News Service
Diverse Omani environment is a source of inspiration for artists

Muscat: The Omani environment and topography represent the first incubator of fine arts and visual expression of thoughts and feelings, on which the artists rely for conveying their messages or stories to the public.

Artist Fahd bin Salim Al Mamari said that his experience with fine art has emerged in the community where he grew up.

The cultural memory, topography and the features of the people and the day to day activities have all contributed to shaping his awareness as an artist, he said, adding that his relation with art gave his artworks credibility and real communication with the recipients/public as his artworks depict the customs, traditions, costumes, details of the daily life, social events and the colours of the surrounding as Omani visual elements.

He said that the diverse topography and the different environments of Oman made him much more aware of the significance of loyalty.

Al Mamari said that he believes that the real art does not only relate to the tools but to the vision as well.

He said, “ Technology today provides us with new expressive tools, and if the artist employs them well, he can reproduce his visual identity with a modern spirit without losing his authenticity. What I always strive for in my works, whether handmade or digital, carry that Omani touch, and that sense emanates from the geography, the environment, and the people.”

He emphasised that digital art is not the opposite of traditional art, but rather an extension of it. If approached with awareness and taste, it can be a bridge to transfer local culture to a wider global space, without stripping it of its uniqueness, he added.

Al-Maamari believes that when an artist paints a scene from a popular market, documents a moment from village life, or depicts a traditional dress or a lost craft, he is not content with beautifying reality, rather he is recording, documenting, and bringing life to the memory of the place and the people.

“These silent messages carried by the artwork enter the recipient’s conscience without resorting to language or interpretation. They penetrate directly to the depth of feeling, creating an emotional connection between the past and the present. Here, the importance of integration between the artist’s desire for expression and the recipient’s desire to receive is highlighted. The artist searches for truth, depth, and identity in what he produces, and the recipient—especially the local—searches for himself, for an image in which he sees his features, values, and history, he added.

“When this ambition meets between the two parties, art is transformed into a profound means of communication and a bridge that extends between generations,” he said.

Regarding the dominance imposed by artificial intelligence, Al-Maamari said : “Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic technology. It has become a present and accelerating reality, penetrating various areas of life, including the arts. At first, it may seem that these technologies threaten the essence of the creative process, as they mimic the artist’s tools and produce images that appear stunning in their precision and composition. However, I see them as a call to redefine art and affirm the humanity of artistic practice. For me, art is not measured by the mastery of line or the precision of shadow and light alone, but by honesty, emotion, and the human experience behind it. A work of art is a reflection of the artist’s spirit, their reflections, their personal history, and their place in the world. What the machine lacks, no matter how advanced it is, is that it can be a helpful tool—not a substitute—if the artist employs it well. Artificial intelligence can provide visual ideas, help envision new compositions, or be used in some stages of design.”

Regarding the impact of internal and external participations, he explained: “Every artistic experience I have had has been like a new page added to my visual memory. I do not view artistic participation as a temporary, passing event, but rather as a space for interaction, exchange of experiences, and openness to different visions, schools, and styles that leave their impact—no matter how simple—on the artist’s formation. In international exhibitions, I have seen how artistic visions emerge from different environments, yet converge in their passion for expressing humanity. I have seen works that speak the language of geography, and others that engage the world in abstraction. I have learned that when art is honest, it is understood regardless of the different languages.

“These participations have given me the opportunity to introduce the world to Omani features, not only through form, but also through spirit. I have always been keen for my works to be ambassadors for my country, showcasing its aesthetics and embodying its environmental and cultural vocabulary.”

Al-Maamari addressed art criticism, believing that the Omani art scene suffers from a clear absence of serious and sustainable critical practice.

“Art criticism has not yet risen to become an active player in the artistic equation. Rather, it has often remained confined to general impressions, cultural compliments, or even a heavy silence that neither explains nor illuminates. An artist, by nature, is in a state of constant development. He needs someone to read his experience from the outside, someone to point out his strengths and weaknesses, someone to stimulate him to rethink, and push him towards transcending himself. Herein lies the importance of the true critic: not as a judge, but as a visual and intellectual companion who analyses, compares, and poses fundamental questions."

“Conversely, the presence of an honest, scientific, and specialised critical movement is likely to raise the level of aesthetic awareness in society and produce a healthy dialogue between the artist and the public, and between the artist and the cultural institution. True criticism does not stop at the boundaries of the visual text, but rather transcends it to its intellectual and social contexts, linking art to its movement in time.”

The artist explains that the philosophy he adopts as an artist does not aim to amaze the recipient as much as it seeks to create a shared emotional space with them and to see themselves, their memories, and their emotions in the artworks, saying, “That is why I aspire for my works to be not just paintings, but visual emotional states that open the door for the recipient to contemplate, or stimulate nostalgia, or make them pause for a moment to think. I want my works to remain in the memory of those who see them.”

He explained, “Visual art is not a luxury or marginal, but rather part of the psychological and social makeup of the nation. We have seen how the major art schools worldwide have contributed to shaping the awareness of their peoples, defending their causes, and narrating their history from an unofficial but more humane and honest perspective. We in Oman possess the cultural and visual heritage that enables us to build a unique visual school that is based on the environment, people, and local experience, but that addresses the world in the universal language of art.”

He pointed out that achieving this balance between the desires of the artist and the recipient begins with sincerity, with the artwork stemming from a true reality, and with the artwork conveying a real question, not just a garish answer. When the recipient finds themselves, their past, or even their dreams in the artwork, they become connected to it, and it becomes part of their memory as well.