OPENING EXHIBITION

Source: Jordan Time

AMMAN — The works of 30 emerging Jordanian artists on Saturday was inaugurated at the JODAR Artistry community art space, as part of a unique creative event held under the patronage of HRH Princess Alia.

Opening its exhibition doors for the first time since its establishment three months ago, the Jordan House for Contemporary Art (JODAR) sought to offer a platform to explore new artists and their work, by bringing together a diverse range of works from up and coming talents in the region, according to a statement by the organisers.

Young talents, mostly in their twenties, got the opportunity to exhibit two of their creations, in an event that often marked their work’s very first public display.

For 25-year-old Tala Zabaneh, a fresh graduate from the University of Jordan’s visual art department, the presentation of her two paintings at JODAR Artistry was “a great opportunity” to showcase her work within an official setting.

“As an emerging artist, I was really keen on sharing my artworks and ideas with Amman and its public and I thought it would be even lovelier sharing it alongside 30 of my fellow artists,” Zabaneh told The Jordan Times after the opening, touched by the emotions triggered among the visitors discovering her work.

“One woman looking at my painting started crying, telling me it reminded her of her son, whom she missed dearly. For me, it was really important to let every viewer have his/her own way of looking at my work,” the young painter highlighted, stressing “I am a visual artist, so I do not seek to explain my work through words or written descriptions. Instead, I like to let people embrace what they naturally feel.”

An inclusive platform aimed at connecting fresh work with the creative community, JODAR Artistry seeks to “bridge the gap and bring art lovers together”, according to its manager, Raida Shahin, who said that emerging talents “rarely have the opportunity to show their work to the public, as most galleries tend to display already renowned figures”.

“Although the exhibition was not my first show, it was the first show where I was able to share walls with some of my closest artist friends,” said Sama Shahrouri, a sculpture graduate who exhibited two of her drawings at the event.

“For a lot of us, it was our first exhibition together, which is in itself a great honour. Within the exhibiting artists there is a nice sense of community where everyone is looking out for everyone else. We have a bigger bond than just having studied together at the same place. We’re also emerging together as artists at the same time,” Shahrouri told The Jordan Times on Sunday, echoing Zabaneh’s feelings.

“Being part of this group exhibition made sense to me as we are all part of a bigger community and society as a whole. Just like in life, art is not meant to stand by itself,” Zabaneh explained, pointing out that “artists, like humans, cannot live alone and they have to co-exist and share with others. This is why it was normal for me to be part of this exhibition alongside 29 other artists.”

For Shahin, who voiced her appreciation to Princess Alia for her dedicated presence and support, “this inauguration was a great success, and we were really overwhelmed with the large turnout, witnessing a crowd who stayed to observe the artwork and exchange with each other and the artists.”

Free of charge, the exhibition will run through November 3 at JODAR Artistry in Khalda.