His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasmi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated here today a ground-breaking new exhibition on the world-famous, 19th century British artist Owen Jones at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. HH was accompanied by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah .
The guests were received by Manal Ataya, Director-General of Sharjah Museums Department, Dr. Mariam Rosser Owen, curator of the V&A’s Middle Eastern Department, Aisha Bin Deemas, Curator of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, as well as a large number of senior directors from SMD.
The opening ceremony, which received a remarkable media interest and converges, was attended by Sheikh Essam bin Saqr bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Office of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah , Sheikh Salem bin Abdul Rahman bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director of the Office of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah , HE Abd Al-Rahman Bin Ali Al-Jarwan,Advisor to His Highness, Major General Humaid Mohammed Al Hudaidi, Commander in Chief of Sharjah , HE Khamis bin Salem bin Khamis Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Department of Suburbs and Villages Affairs , HE Abdullah Al Owais, president of the Department of Culture and Information , HE Mohammed Dhiab Al Mousa, Adviser at the Emiri Court,HE Hana Saif AL Swaidi Chairman of Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah and prominent Arab and international artists and media representatives.
The ceremony started with a reception of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasmi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who toured the exhibition, which is being held for the first time in the Middle East, in the UAE.
Shaikh Sultan expressed his extreme admiration for the collection displayed at the exhibition & thanked organizers of this exhibition, which adds significantly to Sharjah’s landmark achievements.
Due to its outstanding contributions to art and culture, Sharjah was chosen as the only venue in the Middle East to show this spectacular touring exhibition, which was previously presented at the Alhambra in Granada and will travel on to South Korea in July.
The exhibition draws upon treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) collections to tell the story of Owen Jones, a highly versatile architect and designer whose explorations of Islamic design contributed to the reshaping of the 19th century British design.
Speaking on the occasion, Manal Ataya, SMD Director General, said" we are extremely proud that the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization was selected to act as the only venue in the Middle East region to host the Owen Jones exhibition and showcase his outstanding contribution -a fact that underscores the longstanding reputation of Sharjah as a capital of Arab and Islamic culture."
She said the exhibition will provide unprecedented opportunity to illustrate Jones’ deep passion and respect for Islamic art, design and architecture, and demonstrates how the West looked towards the Islamic world to create a much-needed modern style within design and architecture".
Ataya added that hosting this exhibition corresponds with the museum’s ongoing role in enhancing the cultural scene in the UAE and further boosting the emirate’s status as a cultural hub in the region and the world.
On her part, Dr. Mariam Rosser Owen, curator of the V&A’s Middle Eastern Department, said: “Owen Jones, a leading light in the revolution of Islamic art’s impact on British design, was a skilled architect and designer, and one who gave Islamic art a new sophistication and greater integrity. This exhibition will show how and why Jones was able to bring this great change about.”
Expressing her happiness at Sharjah’s hosting of the first Owen Jones exhibition in the Middle East, Rosser Owen added that much care had been taken to select Jones’ best and most representative works for the show, which span from rare 19th century watercolours, photographs, prints, books and design drawings to treasures from the V&A’ vast collections of sculpture, metalwork, ceramics, glass, furniture and textiles.
Aisha Deemas, Curator of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, said that the Museum is always keen to showcase famous international artists and art collections of relevance to the Museum’s mission in promoting Arab and Islamic art and culture. She stated that working with the Victoria and Albert Museum again was a special delight, given our previous, very successful collaboration over the Jameel Prize exhibition in 2010.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, panel discussions will be held to cover several themes and topics related to the exhibition. Several workshops for school children, university students and disabled people, as well as family-designed programmes will be held throughout the four months of the exhibition. Details can be found on the SMD website.
Photographers are invited to participate in a photography competition to celebrate the exhibition. Interested participants should engage with the Owen Jones theme in their photography and submit their images to adults@sharjahmuseums.ae.
Entry for the competition is open from 25 March-31 May. The competition is open to photographers aged 18 years and above The selected winners will be announced on 10 June and their photographs will be displayed as part of the Owen Jones exhibition from 10-15 June.
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