Emirati painter and multidisciplinary artist Hashel Al Lamki’s art unpacks the relationship between humankind and their habitat, the wild and constructed.
Born in the shadow of the monumental Jebel Hafeet Mountain in Al Ain, Hashel bore witness to the complex social and spatial dynamics that followed exponential development in the Gulf. Al Ain’s Bedouin culture, distinct social values, archaeological sites, and rugged terrain starkly contrasted with the rapid industrial and architectural growth that Hashel observed in the neighboring Emirates.
In 2011 Hashel received his BFA from Parsons School of Design, the New School, New York City. He contributed to several philanthropic collaborative projects in Central and North America. Al Lamki worked in disaster-stricken Guatemala and Haiti and low-income communities in the US. A focus on sustainable practices and social cohesion united his cultural projects.
Upon returning to Abu Dhabi in 2014, Hashel was awarded the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship. Post-fellowship, in 2018, he joined forces with artists in the UAE that shared a common cause. Together, they established a community centered around contemporary art in the Emirates, Bait 15. The artist-run gallery space allowed local artists to engage in critical dialogue.
Hashel Al Lamki has had the pleasure of participating in two international events in the last three months. The Lyon Biennale’s Manifesto of Fragility allowed him to broaden his practice. The challenge for Hashel was to create work in situ at Lyon’s Museum Guimet. Using new mediums such as painting, textile installation, sculpture, audio, and video added a new level of sophistication to the task. Rodinia allowed him to think through and synthesize the connections he sees as an artist between the earth, its ecosystems, and humanity.
The Emirati artist’s love of travel and immersion has been a constant source of inspiration for him. Hashel’s goal as an artist is to capture the histories and nuances of the land through his lenses and context to establish a connection with his audience. Hashel applies this principle to his work by using natural pigments indigenous to the MENA region.
“Being an Emirati artist is no different from being an artist from any other place in the world. We are human, and we all share experiences, and much of my output is engaged with universal human connections and experiences,” says Hashel.
As artists, they go through critical reflection, attempt to understand and expand the technical aspects of art-making and share their outcomes with the public.
“What’s important to me as an artist is capturing the histories and nuances of my context and sharing my connection to the land with my audience,” says Hashel.
This is expressed in Hashel’s use of natural pigments indigenous to the MENA region.
“Having a critical dialogue between what I produce and the responses it generates is at the core of my studio practice,” says Hashel.