Culture & Education | Sunday 15 January, 2017 4:16 pm |

The fifth edition of the Sharjah Children Biennial (SCB) was a focal point for budding artists from near and far as Sheikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler's Office, yesterday (Sunday) inaugurated the fifth edition of SCB at the Sharjah Art Museum, under the theme ‘A World as Big as Your Imagination’.

This year’s SCB features 376 artworks submitted by 785 children from across the world, who were selected to take part in the fifth edition, which is being held under the patronage of the Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

Sheikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi toured the halls of the exhibition, along with Reem BinKaram, President of SCB, and Dana Al Mazrouei, Curator of SCB, who emphasised its vision to nurture and support children’s artistic talents. The opening tour was also attended by Sheikha Nawar Al Qasimi, jury member of SCB and Development Manager at Sharjah Art Foundation; Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of FUNN Establishment; Sheikha Aisha bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Director of Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah; Khawla Al Mulla, Chairperson of the Sharjah Consultative Council; Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department; Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Director General of Sharjah Women Sports Foundation; in addition to government officials and representatives of children’s institutions and art-related organisations in Sharjah. A huge audience of Emirati and expatriate artists, parents of the participating young artists, media representatives and art enthusiasts were also present.

Following the tour, the artistic workshops and interactive activities were launched alongside the Biennial, which continue for the duration of the exhibition until 15 February. They are organised in cooperation with both public and private organisations, with the aim of developing children's artistic talents, expanding their imaginations, and providing them with the opportunity to challenge, develop and ultimately hone their capabilities in a creative and fun environment.

"Sharjah Children Biennial has achieved an impressive presence in the Arab artistic and cultural landscape. We can see through the submissions this year that interest has not just reached beyond the UAE and the greater Arab region, it now has a place in a truly international arena, by offering children a platform to paint their hopes and dreams, and unleash their imagination through art,” said Reem Bin Karam.

She added: “In this edition, Sharjah Children Biennial seeks to convey children's humanitarian messages to the world, where there is nothing more innocent and pure than the artworks presented here that reflect children's hopes of a world full of love, peace and goodness.”

The selected artworks extend over three floors of the exhibition space, with each floor featuring artworks in each of the three categories: Architecture Design, Environment, and Fantasy and Reality. Specific galleries were designated for the artworks created by children from the Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan and Dar Zayed Orphanage in the Maldives, highlighting the vision and theme of this year's edition to reach out to children wherever they are in the world and whatever their circumstances, to expand their imaginations and support their artistic talents.

A number of workshops and activities were held on the first day, where the Sharjah Girl Guides organised a workshop on architectural design. Meanwhile, Sharjah-based Mum-Mum Restaurant presented a workshop titled ‘Food Art’, where children presented delicious dishes, decorated sandwiches and pancakes in creative ways using different ingredients.

The "Irthi" Contemporary Crafts Council, an initiative of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, organised activities that introduced children to traditional Emirati crafts, while Souq Al Haraj Market for Used Cars conducted a workshop themed ‘Mini Art’. Sharjah Television and Al Sayegh Media Company jointly organised the ‘Green Room’ workshop, and Sharjah Children Centres conducted a workshop on ‘Digital Coloring’.

Upcoming workshops will include activities in visual and fine arts, in addition to recycling, drawing and painting, collage art, story reading, story writing, Lego building, and other entertaining and useful activities. 

The SCB organising committee received a total of 792 artworks from 1663 children from around the world for its fifth edition, which was shortlisted to 376 artworks by 785 children in both individual and group submissions. Following a rigorous screening process, 351 children from the UAE qualified to have their works showcased at the exhibition, 72 children from Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, 41 children from India, 34 children from Egypt, 23 from Ukraine, as well as a number of children from other countries.

The organising committee of SCB cordially invites residents and visitors of all ages across the UAE to visit the exhibition at Sharjah Art Museum, which is held daily from 8am to 8pm, and on Fridays from 4pm to 8pm.