MATTER OF TIME Project: Salt Trace
Ali Hussain Merza is a visual artist and scenographer with a focus on paintings, installations, and scenography. “Art… is the most beautiful human connection between people. We can love through it. We can disagree through it. So, art is more than just being ‘something’ for pleasure and beauty…”
His passion for fine arts and theater inspired him to research and experiment in his works. He utilized open spaces as avenues to express the ideas and issues that he wishes to reflect upon and discuss in a different way.
Ali views installation artwork as being akin to breaking away from the confines of the theater’s stage. He replaces the actor with the spectator, who is also often considered to be a part of the work of art. It is here that the artist finds himself, stuck somewhere in the grey area between the worlds: the world of fine art and the world of theater.
He won a number of awards over the course of his career in appreciation of his contributions in the fields of fine arts and theater, most recently, Ali was the recipient of the Dana prize at the 44th annual Bahrain fine arts exhibition in 2018, the most prestigious art award in Bahrain.
ARTFORM
Drawings, installations, scenography
MATERIAL
canvas, papers, found objects
EXHIBITIONS SELECTION
2021 | Bahrain.bh, Linkatelier ‐ “Sharnaqa“ Art Exhibition
2021 | Bahrain.bh, The Bahrain Art Society – “Communication“ Art Exhibition
2020 | Egypt.eg, Egypt INT’L Art Fair
2013-2020 | Bahrain.bh, Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
2014-2017 | Bahrain.bh, Nest Art Festival ‐ Al Riwaq Art Space
2018 | Bahrain.bh, Folk Art Space – “Uni…Multi“, Second Solo Exhibition
2018 | Bahrain.bh, Art Center – “Wanderers“, First Solo Exhibition
2016 | Poland.pd & Moldova.md, Gulf Fine Arts Exhibition
2014 & 2016 | Kuwait.kw, Kuwait International Art Symposium
2016 & 2017 | Dubai.uae, Sikka Art Fair
2016 | Bahrain.bh, Ritz Carlton Hotel – “Views“ Art Exhibition
2016 | Saudi Arabia.ksa, Art Jeddah – “Hawamish“ Art Exhibition
2015 | Tunisia.tn, Dar El Founoun – “Traversé“ Art Exhibition
2015 | Italy.it, Porta Coeli International Art Gallery – “Shamal“ Art Exhibition
2014-2017 | Morocco.mo, Assilah Cultural Season
2015 | Washington.usa, New York.usa & California.usa, Workshop “Promoting Social Good Through the Arts“
2018 | Bahrain.bh, Art Center – Curator of “Syncopation“ Art Exhibition
2017 | Bahrain.bh, Art Center – Curator of “Nashaz“ Art Exhibition
2016 | Bahrain.bh, Art Center – Curator of “Parallelism“ Art Exhibition
2015 | Bahrain.bh, Art Center – Curator of “Abstract Rhythm“ Art Exhibition
FORMATION
2006-2010 | Kuwait.kw, Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, Dramatic Arts-Theatre Design, BSc Section
BIO
Lives in Manama.bh
1987 | Born in Manama.bh
LINKS
instagram.com:ali4artgallery
TEXTS
Sayed Ahmed Ridha, Alayam Newspaper 16 November 2019.
Mohamad Elhamamsy, Alarab News 14 June 2019.
Zaki Alsadeer, Alarab News 22 March 2018.
Sayed Ahmed Ridha, Alayam Newspaper 17 February 2019.
Zainab Mardhi, Albilad Press 13 November 2015.
PHOTOS
FEATURED IMAGE
Ali Hussain Merza. Photo: Ali Mubarak
CURATOR
Chiraz Mosbah/