Khaled is a man wise beyond his years. Deeply contemplative and quietly confidant he is not only a driving force behind modern Arabic calligraphic practice but also a passionate advocate of a wider understanding of this formidable art.
Recognition of his rightful place in the genre comes not only from art houses, museums, universities and collectors worldwide but also from fellow calligraphers who on numerous occasions have awarded him the title of Master of Calligraphy in both modern and traditional categories. Initially this ability to stride the role of being a painter and a calligrapher was a dilemma until with maturity he accepted that the two exist along side, no decision had to be taken, in fact the discipline of conforming to the edicts of the seven “pillars” of Arabic Calligraphy, Thuluth, Naskh, Tualeeq, Kufic, Diwani, Diwani Jali Jali and Regga feeds his abstract spirit allowing his painterly being to soar.

Khaled’s fascination with the written word was kindled and nurtured through growing up in Syria, in a family to whom creativity, visual, musical, poetic and edible! was part of daily life. His work is often a reflection on the emotions of freedom and discovery associated with his childhood though recently it has become more reflective on the bigger issues facing the world in general
Khaled travels extensively
Universities and pretigous galleries in Morocco, Europe, The States, South America all regularly host lectures, workshops and exhibitions.

Click below to download the complete Catalogue.

A photographic exhibition under the gracious

Patronage of  Her Highness Sheikha Hissa bint Sultan

bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Limited edition equine photogravure etchings

and large format archival prints of exotic species by 

International Photographer Astrid Harrisson.

21st JANUARY – 17th FEBRUARY 2017
, 10am – 6pm  

Astrid’s vision is simple and clear for all who view her bold yet graceful portraits of animals. She presents compassion and empathy for her subjects, her talents behind the lens perhaps playing second-place to the sense of nostalgia she evokes with her intimate studies and the simplicity with which she presents them.

Astrid’s powerful imagery appeals to a global audience, her fine art prints now held by private collectors around the world. During 2010 and 2011 Astrid began to develop a global following during the documenting of over seventy of the world’s most important breeds of horse in order to illustrate iconic book title The Majesty of the Horse, written by Tamsin Pickeral and published globally in 2012.

Her Highness Sheikha Hissa bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan recognizes Astrid’s rare and remarkable talent to capture the spirit and beauty of horses and is proud to put this collection at the forefront of her artistic Patronage.

Sheikha Hissa, an Arabian Horse Breeder and lover of the arts, has a life-long background in the horse world as well as an interest and education in the arts. Since meeting Astrid she has become a fond supporter of her work – in particular her collection of etchings.

“Astrid’s skill lies in her ability to capture the exterior physical beauty as well as the ethereal inner beauty of the horse through the artistry of her images”.  Sheikha Hissa.

Click here to see the Portfolio

Our big room is full of

New works from our New Orientalists. John R Harris, Trevor Waugh, Martin Giesen, Spencer Tart, Paul Wadsworth and many others. We are also introducing a collection of fabulous oil paintings by Faramarz Mokhtarpour.

Mountain Spring oil on canvas 90 x 60 by Faramarz Mokhtarpour

To make room for this show we have moved our Art Shack Bargains into the front room.
Great fun to be had in here !

Nick Bashall will be working on commissions in his studio

Nick Bashall is no stranger to Dubai, he lived and worked here in the late 80’s and early  90’s both as a lawyer and a painter. It is as the latter that most people remember him especially for the many charismatic family portraits he completed in both charcoal and oil. 

Sitting for a Portrait
Is not as intimidating as it sounds in fact it is a rather cathartic experience. Nick builds from the structure up, the image literally emerges from the paper or canvas. Anticedents as well as descendants appear during the process with the finished portrait being something that goes deeper than a pure likeness.

Prices for a head and Shoulders
Charcoal     Dhms
Child          7,500 
Adult        12,750

Oil
Child        21,000
Adult        37,000

He will also be giving workshops on 12-13-14 December, 10am to 4pm

These will replicate the typical short overview course he has taught for years in England, using the teaching techniques that were employed by art schools in the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century,  before such teaching was almost entirely abandoned in Europe. Instruction will be in the following basic principles that underlie all drawing and painting from life: 650 Dhms Per Day including a light lunch.

Day One:  Proportion, Line, Volume and Movement

Day Two:  Dark and light

Day Three: Colour

To book a course or commission a portrait call Alison Collins on 050 4503853

All this plus some unique gifts for every pocket, from hand blocked scarves made in Jaipur to silver jewellry from the Sahara and beautifully presented silk spice squares made in the UAE. 

The Majlis Gallery is a wonderful place to bring family and friends, a place to browse in peace and tranquility away from the hurly burly of the shopping malls.

We look forward to welcoming you.

The Majlis Gallery is the place for anything Fine Art related. An oasis of tranquility but buzzing with creativity.
Small is beautiful, from our earliest years we learn to collect little things that catch our eyes. A shell, an acorn, feathers, stones, as we grow older this intuitive habit never leaves us. That is what this exhibition Intimate Objects all about. Small intimate eye catching tactile objects that are just asking to be added to your collection.
We have brought together small works from, amongst others, Patricia Millns, Peter Hayes, Carole Grace, Hans Loots, Mustafa Ali, Lynette ten krooden, Junko Yamamoto and Sanna Swatt.

Peter Hayes           –           Carole Grace          –           Patricia Millns

From 1900 until about 1940, Paris was a thriving center of artistic activity that provided unparalleled conditions for the exchange of creative ideas. A wave of artists of all nationalities gravitated to the French capital and fostered an inspiring climate of imaginative cross-creativity. Because of the enormous influx of non-French artists living and working in Paris, a loosely defined affiliation developed referred to as the School of Paris. The international activity associated with this group in Paris was initially concentrated in Montmartre but subsequently moved to Montparnasse in the early 1910s. Focusing on conventional subjects such as portraiture, figure studies, landscapes, cityscapes, and still lifes, artists of the School of Paris employed a diversity of styles and techniques including the bold, dynamic colors of Fauvism the revolutionary methods of Cubism the animated qualities of Expressionism, and the private worlds of Surrealism.  Amongst these artists were Picasso, Braque, Miro, Matisse, Chagall and Dali. The War years of 1939-45 saw many of them moving to America and England  where they continued to influence the next generation of radical artists such as Bacon and Litchenstein

This exciting exhibition curated by Niall and Christina Fairhead features 51 Original works from all the major School of Paris Artists. All works are for sale and guaranteed genuine

Download – The School of Paris Catalogue

Opening 24th- October until 26th- November.

Who said Fauvism or Impressionism is restricted to paintings and never makes it presence felt in photography, or photography lasts only for a glimpse, with nothing to delve beyond that, and who was it that instead a story cannot be delineated with a few abstract clicks of a photographer, or good photographs are those that undergo makeovers with the click of graphic software. Udaybhanu, who calls himself an environmental activist, is in a sole resolve to rewrite such preconceived myths about photography. This artist, who has an eye for the extraordinary, is leaving no stone unturned when he scurries about to narrate the heart-wrenching story of a tree. The series ‘Hues and Barks’ is nothing but spellbinding art captured with an implacable mind that doesn’t compromise on mediocrity. It takes a few minutes for you to come to terms with the fact that Udaybhanu’s pictures are no abstract art but photographs that resemble paintings in more way than one.

Trees sacrificed their lives for us bipeds long before we were called Hominids. They provided food, shelter, clothes and fire to light up the dawn of civilization. Later they gave papyrus and charcoal to write their own story.

Nature had been signing itself on tree trunks even earlier with a biological time signature. These growth rings carved the biorhythms of the earth. The high degree of seasonal temperatures, rainfalls, and other climatic changes were fossilized in living trees talking to us down the millennia.

View Udaybhanu Portfolio