Land of Sheba Art Exhibition-opening by Richard Boyd Barrett TD

 Thursday 13th September 7pm sees the formal opening of a unique Art Event taking place in the Ranelagh Arts Centre, Main Street, Ranelagh.

For probably the first time ever here in Ireland 3 artists from the Republic of Yemen will be exhibiting a selection of their paintings for the Irish public. The exhibition will be opened by Richard Boyd Barrett TD, who has a long standing interest in Middle Eastern affairs.

Many people will be familiar with the Yemen from news headlines but the Yemen, like Ireland, has a rich history and culture which is invariably lost in the bland rush for dramatic headlines! It is an incredibly beautiful and mountainous country which was christened ‘Arabia Felix’ by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, and is recognised as the home of the original Queen of Sheba, and thus has been christened ‘The Land of Sheba’.

If one Googles YEMEN online or checks this blog below,

http://notesbynoon.blogspot.ie/2011/04/yemen-unraveled-facts-about-my.html

it is possible to get a flavour of the variety of influences and contradictions inherent in this ancient civilisation.

This exhibition, which will run from 13th to 22nd September inclusive, is an opportunity to view examples of the creativity of Yemeni artists, and to realise that human activity can still flourish behind all those despairing headlines. 2 of the exhibiting artists, who will also be conducting workshops during their visit to Ireland are:

• Amna Al Nassiri is an artist, art critic and university lecturer (in Sana’a University, Yemen). Her work has been exhibited widely, both in Europe and the Arab world. She has also participated in a variety of cultural congresses and seminars.
• Mazher Nazar, is a full time artist, who was born in Kolkata, India to Yemeni parents, but has lived and worked in Yemen since the mid 1980’s. He has had a variety of exhibitions both locally in the Yemen, but also internationally. His website can be viewed at http://www.nizar-art.com/index.html

Come along to this exhibition and view a cultural World of Difference, through the eyes of these Yemeni artists. This is a unique opportunity for anyone interested in the diversity and influence of Art.