A 12-day celebration of music, art and knowledge took visitors of Reflection – Sharjah’s first annual art festival – on an exploration journey of words, colours and music in a way Sharjah and UAE residents have never experienced before. The debut edition of the festival in Al Qasba came to a successful close on Monday 31 January, after having received the love and admiration of a great turnout of art- and culture-loving crowds.

Artists and musicians from various nationalities who descended on Al Qasba during the festival, wowed visitors with the diverse art forms, entertaining shows and informative workshops.

Through painting and sculpting activities, visitors were introduced to various artforms in a lively and family-friendly setting. Storytelling sessions had the young entertained, with a range of tales ranging from heroism to fantasy. Musical performances and free movie screenings put cultures of the world on screen for movie buffs. While caricature, fashion, food, photography and art showcased by new and established talents from the UAE expanded the knowledge and sparked visitors’ interests into creative arts.

Khuloud Salim Al Junaibi, General Manager of Al Qasba said: “We are delighted to see how successful the debut edition of Reflection has been – testimony to the love of culture and arts the Sharjah and the UAE as well as its people share. The 12-day art festival had every corner of Al Qasba was buzzing with activity, and witnessed people of all groups involved in broadening their artistic horizons, spending a lovely evening in a picturesque setting, surrounded by creativity and the arts.”

“All the activities we hold in Al Qasba are designed to entertain and educate visitors in various arts, expose them to different cultures all in one place,” she added

Storytelling and poetry sessions

To please the palate of admirers of the written and spoken word, a series of storytelling and poetry sessions was conducted by authors and storytellers who are part of ‘Esteraht Sayedat’ – the first book club dedicated to women in the Arab world launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

Zamiya J. Akhbar and friends held a poetry session titled ‘Velvet Voices: Spoken Poetry’ where they improvised, rhymed, and played on words to the delight of visitor’s ears and imaginations.

Children and their parents were gripped by the wild adventures of three brothers, narrated by Jumana Aleradaideh and her daughters from their soon-to-be published Arabic book.

Meanwhile, author and certified coach Rashmi T.K highlighted the importance of storytelling as an effective tool to impart wisdom and influence young and old through fairy tales and historical stories, and how it can be used as an effective parenting tool.

A poetry workshop conducted by Dubai Poetics under the title ‘The Poetryhood Movement’, brought together a host of writers to share their experience with young talents in both poetry and prose. The workshop focused on the aesthetic value of literary works, and how specific writing techniques can be learnt and applied to boost this value.

Caricature art and craft workshops

Visitors who took a stroll on Al Qasba’s picturesque walkway did not miss the chance to view the art gallery of Caricature Portrait Artist Jalal Abu Sama, from India. Many of them went home with a caricature portrait of themselves. Through his gallery he introduced visitors to the simplest, yet arguably the most creative satire artform, where artists render the features of a subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or through other artistic drawings.

Art Workshops from Maraya Art Centre

One of the highlights of the art festival was Palestinian-Saudi artist, Dana Awartani, who blended Islamic art and descriptive geometry during a workshop titled ‘Geometric Drawing’, held at the Maraya Art Centre.  She highlighted to visitors the basic aspects of geometry drawing, which incorporate straight lines and circles and geometric shapes that are rich in aesthetic detail.

She also shared tips on the steps she follows when planning for paintings and explained her thought process before drawing them on blank paper.

Visitors of Reflection were introduced to acrylic and spray painting techniques, as they explored colour and design composition with Brazilian artist Tarsila Schubert. Also, Emirati artist Azza Al Qubaisi, presented a workshop titled “Interactive Public Art – Palm Eyes” where participants were introduced to creating sustainable artwork by expressing themselves on the Palm Tree ‘Kurab’ using materials such as sand, acrylic paints and accessories.

Meanwhile, crafts enthusiasts got their hands full during a series of crafts-making and illustrative design workshops carried out by artist Mohammed Okasha, from Maraya Art Centre’s Kutob. Participants learnt how to combine contemporary designs with African heritage to create accessories and prints on tote bags, during the ‘3D African Tote Bags’ workshop. Another workshop presented from Kutob was titled ‘Giant Paper Flower Making’, educated participants on the basics of paper flower-making in a detailed guided session to create beautiful giant paper flowers, which are a common sight in hotels, malls and other public hangouts.

At the ‘Fashion Illustration’ workshop, partakers explored different poses and learnt how to express them on illustration using colours, texture, draping effects, in addition to illustration styles and techniques used during sketching fashion figures.

Established in 2000, Al Qasba offers state-of-the-art facilities to visitors as well as businesses. The destination is known for delivering premium services, and has been hosting world-class event, which see a huge turnout of tourists and locals throughout the year. Each event is immaculately planned and visitor experience is always on top of the agenda.