SHARJAH: As part of its Autumn 2024 programme, Sharjah Art Foundation is hosting two significant exhibitions, “Between Circles and Constellations” by Bouchra Khalili, and “Ka Awatea: A New Dawn” by Emily Karaka.

The exhibitions will be on view from 7th September to 1st December at the Al Mureijah Art Spaces.

Bouchra Khalili’s exhibition, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, with assistant curators Amal Al Ali and Mira Madhu, focusses on the artist’s exploration of hidden histories of cross-border solidarities and stateless communities. Her work combines various media, including films, photography, print, and installations, to challenge traditional forms of identity and belonging.

Khalili, a Moroccan-French visual artist based in Vienna, incorporates storytelling and collaboration with marginalised communities into her practice. Major institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, have shown her projects, and she has participated in pres
tigious events like the Venice Biennale and Documenta 14.

Emily Karaka, a self-taught abstract expressionist from New Zealand, uses her art to address the political struggles of the Mori people, particularly their fight for sovereignty and justice. Her vibrant, large-scale works, which often feature text, are reflections of her Maori heritage and her activism for Indigenous rights.

Prominent institutions like the Auckland Art Gallery and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa include Karaka’s work in their collections. She has recently produced pieces for the 22nd Sydney Biennale and is known for her powerful expression of social and environmental justice in her art.

Both exhibitions, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, showcase the artists’ unique approaches to challenging conventional narratives through their deep political and cultural engagements.

Source: Emirates News Agency