‘Visions on the Periphery’ (Beechwood) by Asma Behamar
Courtesy of 421: Photography by Seeing Things, Ismail Noor
In this new solo exhibition titled ‘Solid Void’ at Gallery 1 of Abu Dhabi’s 421, Emirati artist Asma Belhamar presents a major body of work inspired by the UAE’s architectural history. The exhibition bears a footnote from the artist’s reflections on culture and national identity in flux.
Speaking to Al Arabiya English, Belhamar said two years of research contemplating the UAE’s architectural evolution, in relation to its national identity and culture, resulted in the current show.
Belhamar works as an art educator based in Dubai, and the solo exhibition is an outcome of research while being a participant in the 2023 cycle of 421’s Artistic Development Program, organized in partnership with The Institute for Emerging Art.
The title of the exhibition itself is an architectural term, Belhamar explained, referring to the mass and space of a building – the interplay of ‘solid’ and ‘void’, which gives any building its overall shape and form.
In ‘Solid Void,’ the artist uses wood relief, sound installation, experimental print, and 3D modeling to illustrate the effect that various architectural trends have had on the perception of the UAE, both locally and globally.