Omani photographer, painter impress art lovers at show

Muscat: Art lovers were impressed by the combined artwork of Omani painter Abdulmajeed Karooh and Omani photographer Hassan Ali Jawad during the opening of their shared exhibition at Bait Al Zubair on Monday night.
Held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Suwaidan Al Balushi, Bait Al Zubair opened the exhibition showcasing the iconic collection called “Light and Brush” by the two artists.
The exhibition contains artworks that merge Jawad’s photographs with Karooh’s brush strokes to create a new form of art. The paintings and photographs mostly reflected scenes of life in Muttrah, where both artists come from.
Karooh, who was influenced by local Omani folklore, in addition to his childhood memories of living in Muttrah, explained to the Times of Oman that they chose to combine the two concepts because they wanted to create something entirely new.
“We choose a location, Hassan takes the picture and I fill it in,” he said.
Karooh is a member of the Omani Society for Fine Art and the Youth Studio. He has participated in many local and international art exhibitions in Oman, Egypt, Dubai and New Delhi; he has won distinctive awards for his unique creative vision.
Jawad, whose pictures tend to focus on human character, as well as the picturesque nature, said he and Abdulmajeed have an attitude in common. “We are both very flexible. Usually artists have a mind of their own, but the two of us work together. I’m quite satisfied and happy, because the turnout today is very good.” he stated.
The exhibition is the first attempt to display his pictures, which have accumulated over a long period of time. He aspires for his photos to speak for themselves, without illumination.
The artwork has proved impressive for the crowd of art lovers present at Bait Al Zubair. Visitors expressed their amazement on how the artists have managed to combine photographs with paintings, as it proved sometimes difficult to distinguish between the picture and the painting in the artwork.
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Suwaidan Al Balushi, the guest of honour at the event and a photography lover, praised the exhibition.
“This exhibition is very beautiful and gives an impression of Omani heritage and history, both before and after 1970. The visitors are surprised by these outstanding paintings and beautiful pictures,” he stated.
Visitor Heather Ford said, “This is the first time I have seen Abdulmajeed combining his artistry with a photographer. I love the way the artists have come together to create something quite unique. It’s very difficult to discern which is the photograph and which is the painting,” she said.
Visitor Georgia said, “They complement each other very well. What I really like is the shimmering effect they have created.”
“This is something very unique. Some photographs look like a painting and some paintings look like a photograph,” said visitor Palazi Ashok.
The “Light and Brush” exhibition will run at Bait al Zubair from April 12 to 25 and is open to the public from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm on Saturdays to Thursdays.