The Invisible Red Thread

In the long debate over whether art can be viewed separately from the artist, Sharjah native and newcomer Juma Al Haj settles it: “My work features personal scribbles from my journal—I write almost daily.” A graduate in visual communications from the American University of Sharjah, Al Haj confides that texts from different sources catch his eye and serve as a catalyst for his own diaristic soliloquy. Journaling, collecting thoughts for his art, is a ritual highly revered by Al Haj, given that he only moonlights as an artist but reports for work in the government sector every morning.