In Conversation With : Suzy Sikorski Part 2

Author Daf Beirut

A series of in depth interviews with Arthur Debsi, writer and researcher at Dalloul Art Foundation where he discusses various subjects with professionals in the Arab world.

Suzy Sikorski - Founder of Mid East Art

Part 2. Since the 1960s, the artistic scene in the Gulf region has been steadily developing, becoming an influential cultural hub in the world nowadays especially by hosting important international events. In the second part of the conversation, Suzy Sikorski shares her research work on the art of the Gulf starting from 2016, with a focus on the United Arab Emirates' art history that is available online on the Mid East Art platform. Covering forty years of history across four generations of artists from Kuwait to Oman, Sikorski explains, through archives and personal photographs, the development of the artistic scenes in the countries of the region. Modern and contemporary local artists including Mohammed al-Saleem (1939-1997), Abdul Rahim Sharif (1954-) and Hassan Sharif (1951-2016) traveled to the West to complete their studies, and went back to their respective home countries where they elaborated their styles. The artworks that they produced show that they had always been true to their cultural identity while staying connected to their times.

Video recorded on Zoom by Arthur Debsi

Edited by Christine Labban