Past Residents

Residents Map

Past Resident
2013: Al-Riwaq Art Space

Jaffar Al Oraibi

Jaffar Al Oraibi began drawing and painting early in life, first drawing portraits of friends and family members and then landscapes in Bahrain. His work has evolved toward the evolution of knowing the world of art and artists, through direct visits inside and outside Bahrain.

Jaffar Al Oraibi (born 1976) is one of Bahrain’s foremost emerging contemporary artists, with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Bahrain. His work has been exhibited widely, including solo exhibitions at Cuadro Fine Art Gallery, Dubai, and Al Riwaq Art Space, Bahrain. Group exhibitions include Morocco’s Asilah Festival, the China Art Olympiad Biennale, the 5th International Print Triennial in Egypt, and the Cité International des Arts in France. He has won numerous awards for his work, such as first prize at the Qatari Diar Art Symposium, special recognition at the 32nd Annual Plastic Arts exhibit at Bahrain’s National Museum, and the Silver Palm from the seven GCC art exhibitions, Kuwait. Al Oraibi was an artist-in-residence at Cité International des Arts and the Delfina Foundation in London.

Past Resident
2013: Al-Riwaq Art Space

Mohamed Sharkawy

Mohamed Sharkawy uses minimalist forms, flat colors and clearly defined shapes to render images that have a universal appeal. Each form and figure are purposely deduced to the essentials; what is left is an image that is reminiscent of Egyptian wall painting- of a time of language through symbolism, where the focus was the message, rather than unnecessary details. Unadorned and unaffected, his work is a vision of childlike simplicity. Yet, what we witness is not naivety but rather an astute ability to communicate the fundamentals of life, rid of pretense and negativity- in a language for all to appreciate.

Mohamed Sharkawy (born 1982 Naga Hamadi, Egypt) began painting in 2000. His exposure to a variety of artists’ styles and approaches led to the development of his own visual vocabulary. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in venues including the Townhouse Gallery and Al Riwaq Art Space, Bahrain. Sharkawy lives and works in Bahrain.

Past Resident
2013: Canada Council for the Arts

Paul Dignan

The starting point for Paul Dignan’s recent paintings are squares aligned in an even grid. Within these squares there are individual compositions based on one original source drawing. These paintings challenge the viewers’ perception in that the apparent uniformity of the schemata gradually begins to dissolve over time allowing slight shifts to occur. The feeling of order is further disrupted by the placement of flat areas next to airbrushed areas that feign an illusion of depth. Within a limited and regular format the paintings offer endless shifting variations that initially engage the viewers eye before ultimately revealing a certain resistance to it.

Paul Dignan (born Dundee, Scotland) is based in Ontario, Canada. He has lived and worked there since leaving Scotland in 2003. He is a graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art, London and is a past recipient of The Rome Scholarship in Painting at The British School at Rome. He has received numerous awards from the Scottish Arts Council, The Ontario Arts Council and The Canada Council for the Arts. His work has been included in shows at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje; FYR Macedonia and The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. His work can be found in numerous collections, including The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Unilever Collection, London and The Canada Council for the Arts.