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Shaikha al mazrou
About the Artist
Shaikha Al Mazrou (b. 1988, United Arab Emirates) is known for her original use of sculptural materials, imbuing softness into traditionally rigid mediums, such as metal. The artist, who lives and works in Dubai, received her MFA in 2014 from the Chelsea College of Arts, London, and is currently a lecturer in sculpture at the University of Sharjah. Her work has been shown by such prestigious organisations as Desert x AlUla (2022); Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai (2018); the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation; the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority; and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture. She recently completed monumental public art projects for Expo 2020 in Dubai (2021) and Frieze Sculpture, Regent’s Park, London (2022).
Al Mazrou initially studied architecture and the influence of architectural forms on her work is marked. Her inspiration stems from a desire to understand the physical properties of materials; the way they move and interact with each other. Experimentation is a leitmotif in Al Mazrou’s art as she pushes the boundaries of sculptural form and concept. In her sculptures, colour is a key element: often painted with geometric patterns in radiant shades, the works become three-dimensional colour compositions.
Shaikha Al Mazrou, 2022
Courtesy of the artist and Lawrie Shabibi
WORKS IN THE COLLECTION
Shaikha Al Mazrou, "Untitled", 2019
Wet-coated steel, 100 x 100 x 38.1 cm
Courtesy the artist and the Lawrie Shabibi Gallery
Untitled (2019) is an example of Al Mazrou’s ability to shift expectations by introducing a paradox of form and medium. The artwork, made of wet-coated steel, appears soft and bent, an effect resulting from the careful introduction of air pressure into steel parts welded together to compose a cube. The form converses with the broader history of minimalist sculpture, a particularly Western and male-dominated field, which the artist revisits with a gentle yet commanding sensibility.
The viewer is invited to partake in a playful rendering of an austere material, engaging with the limitless realm of possibilities that matter can occupy. In combining artistic practice with a conceptual approach, Al Mazrou imbues otherwise rigid and sturdy metals with the flexibility of an intellectual and creative approach.