10 January 2016
101, special exhibition by the prominent Bahraini visual artist Bahraini Abdulrahim Sharif
The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) on Sunday (Jan 10) inaugurated "101", a special exhibition by the prominent Bahraini visual artist Bahraini Abdulrahim Sharif taking place at the Center for the Arts. Several senior officials attended the inauguration ceremony, including BACA president Her Excellency Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Naturalization, Passports, and Immigration Affairs HE Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and MP Ghazi Al Rahma who attended on behalf of the Speaker of the Representatives Council Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al-Mulla, as well as a number of artists and cultural enthusiasts in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The opening comes ahead of BACA’s plans to launch the 42nd edition of the annual Bahrain Fine Arts Exhibition, set to open January 20th under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of Bahrain.
The exhibition, which concludes on Feb 10, contains an eclectic array of select works by Abdulrahim Sharif which span his 40+ year career. The artist is widely acclaimed for his exceptional ability to encapsulate underlying themes and emotions through his creations which represent numerous schools and styles and are characterized by brash and flamboyant palette of cold and warm colors.
Sharif’s artistic aptitude garnered attention when he began selling his works at a Manama bookstore when he was just 7 years old. With the rapid development of the Bahraini art scene in the 1960s, his teachers took notice of his creative abilities and encouraged him to further hone his talent. In 1974, he left for Paris to pursue his art studies where he won first place in a national competition that drew submissions from art institutes across France. Upon completing his undergraduate studies, he moved to New York City where he obtained his Master’s degree.
Since his return to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sharif held numerous solo exhibitions and represented the kingdom in international festivals and exhibitions. He is currently working as a lecturer in the University of Bahrain.
