FORGOTTEN SPACES
Emirati photographer and artist Lamya Gargash has her first solo institutional show at Maraya Art Centre.
By Anna Seaman
Although Lamya Gargash often turns her lens to forgotten spaces, vacant rooms or objects, it is the trace of human presence that she seeks to capture. In the rapidly modernising UAE, change is a subject that continually draws attention, but in Gargash’s work there is also a kind of stillness. A viewer can sense traces of the people that once inhabited the space, or the forces of nature that are taking over. It is a documentation of transition.
Her first solo institutional show, Kun: To Be at Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah from October to January, features a series of commissions that depict various scenes of interiors, domestic spaces and abandoned buildings that are largely dimly lit, carrying with them a sense of mystery.
Cima Azzam, curator at Maraya Art Centre, says that the exhibition reflects the artist’s personal transformational journey. The artist herself explains that her objective with the new work is to highlight what she calls the paradox of emotions. “Kun, or the act of being, celebrates our humanity and connection,” Gargash says. “The goal is to create spiritual bonds between people through these unique transient spaces. In a time of division, this project serves as a reminder of our shared vulnerabilities and collective human experiences. Through photography, I explore my spiritual journey and embrace my humanity.”
While many of Gargash’s works explore themes of modernity, identity, and the banal, drawing inspiration from inhabited and abandoned spaces and cultural heritage in a context of rapid change, these new works are an extension of her practice that is entwined with personal experience. And, for the first time, the artist presents video, which offers a new depth to her work.
KUN: To Be, Maraya Art Centre, October 13 to January 10.
Dining Table – Square (2022), from the Xanadu series. In the context of rapid modernisation, Lamya Gargash seeks to capture the subtle beauty and melancholy of human presence. Courtesy of Lamya Gargash and The Third Line Gallery.
