How does creating art help with grief?
The Hard like Tears; Soft like Glass exhibition at Iris Projects in Abu Dhabi seeks to answer this question. The first solo show by Emirati multidisciplinary artist Shamsa Al Omaira since 2012 is about family, memories and the emotional architecture of domestic life.
Al Omaira’s work is deeply personal. It maps the patterns that emotions leave behind. “I always try to document certain things, whether it’s emotions, thoughts or human behaviour,” she explains. “I love creating patterns out of what we experience as humans and this is where my work is going.”
The exhibition is the result of a year-long mentorship programme with UAE-based curator and critic Nadine Khalil, supported by Iris Projects. Over that period, Al Omaira expanded her practice by adopting new materials, including resin, glass, ceramics, stitching and installation. The works on display draw from childhood bedding, heirloom objects, lullabies and food moulds, transforming sources of comfort into forms that harbour discomfort.
