Yinon Gal-On, Ariela Wertheimer and Keren Shpilsher will feature their works at an exhibition titled, ‘Abyss of Bliss’. The Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery will display works by the artists, which will open on March 25 and be on display until May 20. This will also overlap with the six-day Art Dubai that kicks off on March 29.
“Art and culture knows no boundaries and Dubai has always been at the forefront of supporting creative and cultural enterprises through community building and artistic exchange,” gallery founders Paola Marucci and Emanuela Venturini said in a joint statement.
Wertheimer’s works are more abstract. Her series Jaffa Port Surface from 2014 comprises of printed photography on canvas, with the artist layering colour and texture to pictures of thick ropes often used for mooring. Stimulated by her self-healing, Wertheimer is inspired by the recovery process of fishing boats at a shipping yard in Jaffa, a Jewish-Arabic city in Israel.
Shpilsher’s colourful and playful paintings, three of which were specifically created for the show at Oblong Gallery, fuse elements from comics, graphic design and folklore. Her Pop Art-inspired and eye-catching works include references to consumer culture, with the artist remaking superheroes and fast food logos in her own specific style.
The youngest artist in the show is Gal-On, an 18-year-old who describes himself as an “emotion underwater photographer”. His work focuses on portraiture, with his subjects expressing various emotions and gestures underwater. Having previously displayed his photographs at the Saatchi Gallery in London, Gal-On is set to present 14 of his artworks in the exhibition in Dubai.
Oblong Gallery will be donating 10 per cent of the artwork sales to Emirates Red Crescent.