FIKAR and Hunna Art announce the upcoming exhibition, ‘Earth Can be as Dead as It Can Be Alive,’ curated by Mathqaf. This November, FIKAR and Hunna Art will host the fourth solo show by Kuwaiti visual artist and storyteller, Alymamah Rashed, at Dar FIKAR.
‘Earth Can be as Dead as It Can Be Alive’ will unveil twenty new artworks, spanning paintings, drawings, installations, and performances created by Alymamah Rashed during her six-month residency with the Failaka Institute for Knowledge and Arts Research (FIKAR) on Failaka Island. Throughout her residency, Rashed collected various found objects from the island, including seashells, terrazzo, pottery fragments, and beach rocks. These items served as the focal point for a series of drawing studies exploring concepts of expansion and shrinkage. This initial exploration was further enriched as the artist delved into themes of rituals and fertility, which underpin this new collection.
‘Earth Can be as Dead as It Can Be Alive’ is on display from November 4 to 18 at Dar FIKAR. This collaborative exhibition brings together three regional, independent, and non-governmental art entities: Hunna Art Gallery, FIKAR: Failaka Institute for Knowledge and Arts Research, and Mathqaf. Accessible solely by boat, the exhibition invites attendees to follow in Rashed’s footsteps and rediscover the distinctiveness of Failaka.
ABOUT ALYMAMAH RASHED
Alymamah Rashed, a Kuwaiti visual artist, delves into the themes of identity and the natural environment by weaving her personal narrative. Her work navigates her female perspective in connection to regional folklore, the mundane objects of her daily life, archaeological research, and Arab Mythology. Rashed earned her MFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in 2019 and her BFA in Fine Arts from The School of Visual Arts in 2016. Her artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions across New York City, including the Czech Center, Parsol Projects, and The New School. She has received recognition through the Master’s Scholarship and the Merit Scholarship program offered by the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education. Rashed also participated in the Professional Development Initiative Program, sponsored by the National U.S-Arab Chamber of Commerce, the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education, the Embassy of Kuwait, and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences. Her work has been showcased in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Vogue Arabia, Architectural Digest, Farfetch, The Visionary Project, and in ‘7 Days: Expanded Edition’ by AC Books.
Location: Dar Fikar, (Failaka Island, Kuwait)
Dates: 4 – 18 November 2023