The fourth edition of the Sharjah Children Biennial has continued its activities at the Sharjah Art Museum where 550 artworks created by children and young people aged 6-18 years, from Arab and foreign countries, are on display. The UAE is participating with 428 works, the largest ever participation in this year's edition, which will conclude on 9th February 2015.
Held under the gracious patronage of the Wife of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and in collaboration with Sharjah Museums Department.
This year's biennale revolves around the theme "Questions", with displayed works dedicated to one-word questions such as "where, how, when, who, what, and why?" The event's organisers and people interested in fine arts have been impressed by the topics of these works, due to the creativity of the children, who expressed their feelings about the outside world through their artworks.
The psychological impact of war was clearly visible in the works of a nine-year-old Syrian girl, Bayan Usama Al Hakim, whose painting shows the globe with question marks around it and arms uplifted, in a plea to God to end the plight of the victims of war who have become refugees and immigrants seeking security and safety.
In the background of her painting, Bayan portrayed a group of people dressed in black, symbolising the plight of those people who were happy before the war, but have had their lives turned into a nightmare.
Another painting, by Pakistani boy Ayman Abdul Khaleq, shows the globe on fire due to man's evils and natural disasters. In the centre of the globe there is a question mark in red, symbolising the bloodshed in the world, and encouraging people to put an end to this fire.
A painting by Shaima Yousuf Al Ali, a nine-year-old Emirati girl, dwells on environmental destruction caused by wars and pollution that endangers all living things on Earth. The painting also shows a man running begging for help and carrying a sign that says, "Save Earth".
A 12-year-old Emirati girl, Khadija Khalid Abdullah, portrayed a family gripped by sadness after its members were separated because of a human tragedy. In her painting, a mother is shown carrying a baby in one arm and pulling a pram with the other one, while the father is shown to be shameful. In the centre of the sky there is an eye with a tear coming down, while there are a lot of question marks in the background of the painting.
Sharjah Children Biennial is the first of its kind event dedicated to children in the UAE and the Gulf region. The biennale has expanded to take on a global facet, attracting creative works and positioning itself as a leading event committed to supporting children's artistic skills and upgrading these skills towards higher levels of pioneering creativity.
Source: WAM