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Mohamed Al Mazrouei’s path from Emirati Expressions to Europe
Mohamed Al Mazrouei will open his first solo show in Europe this weekend.
Although the 53-year-old Emirati was one of six artists chosen for the previous edition of Emirati Expressions, held in 2013 on Saadiyat Island, his work has not been widely exhibited in the UAE.
But his abstract expressionist canvases, which fill his studio in Abu Dhabi, caught the attention of AB Gallery in Lucerne, Switzerland, two years ago and its owners, the husband-and-wife duo Franz and Heidi Leupi, instantly fell in love with his work.
On Sunday, April 19, Al Mazrouei will make his European debut at their gallery in Lucerne, where 20 new paintings and works on paper will be displayed until May 23. The artist will also stay in the city for a month-long residency – an opportunity the Leupis regularly give to artists from this part of the world.
The Leupis have been travelling to the Middle East and particularly the Gulf since 2006 – they were one of the first customers of The Third Line gallery in Al Quoz when it launched – and quickly made it their mission to work with local artists to offer them a platform and audience in Europe.
“When I saw Mohamed’s art I was really enthusiastic,” says Franz. “His expression and his motifs are far from the style that you expect from the Arab world. I had never seen a painter in the Middle East or Iran with this style.”
Soon after Emirati Expressions, the Leupis approached Al Mazrouei and took his work to Art Basel and Abu Dhabi Art. Last month, they set up a solo booth of his work at Art Dubai.
“Mohamed is a man practising in a country in which, until only a few years ago, it was considered strange to be an artist,” says Heidi. “I also admire him because he is a writer and a poet – he is an artist through and through.”
Al Mazrouei has published six collections of poetry; most recently For No Reason Because We Are Poor in 2009. His works have been translated into English, French, German and Spanish.
Source: www.thenational.ae