(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Their artworks expressed the plight of their peers around the world who dont have access to a stable and safe life.
A child painting at theSharjah Children Biennial. KT photo by M. Sajjad
The fourth edition of the Sharjah Children Biennial that is based on the theme “Questions” has managed to bring out the psychological impact of war on children from certain war-torn zones. Visitors and even the organisers are impressed by the topics of these works due to the creativity of the children who expressed their feelings about the outside world through their artworks. Their artworks expressed the plight of their peers around the world who don’t have access to a stable and safe life.
The impact of war was clearly visible in the works of a nine-year-old Syrian girl Bayan Usama Al Hakim whose painting shows the planet Earth with question marks around it and arms raised in prayer to God to end the plight of the victims of war who have become refugees and immigrants seeking security and safety.
In the background of her painting Bayan portrayed a group of people dressed in black symbolising the plight of those people who were happy before the war but their lives have now become a nightmare.
Another painting by Pakistani boy Ayman Abdul Khaleq shows the Earth on fire due to man’s evils and natural disasters. In the centre of the globe there is a question mark in red symbolising the bloodshed in the world and encouraging people to put an end to this fire.
A painting by Shaima Yousuf Al Ali a nine-year-old Emirati girl dwells on environmental destruction caused by wars and pollution that endangers the existence of all living things on the planet. The painting also shows a man running and begging for help carrying a sign that says “Save Earth”. A 12-year-old Emirati girl Khadija Khalid Abdullah portrayed a family gripped by sadness after its members were separated because of a human tragedy.
In her painting a mother is shown carrying a baby in one arm and pulling a pram with the other while the father is shown to be shabbily dressed. In the centre of the sky she painted an eye with a tear coming down with a lot of question marks painted in the background.
Sharjah Children Biennial is the first-of-its-kind event dedicated to children in the UAE and the Gulf region. The biennial has expanded to take on a global facet attracting creative works and positioning itself as a leading event committed to supporting children’s artistic skills and upgrading these skills towards higher levels of pioneering and creativity. The activities are being held at the Sharjah Art Museum where 550 artworks created by children and youngsters aged 6-18 years from Arab and foreign countries are on display.
The UAE is participating with 428 works the largest ever participation in the edition that will conclude on February 9 2015. The biennial is held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.
The theme of this year’s event is “Questions” with artworks dedicated to one-word questions such as “where how when who what and why” -newskhaleejtimes.com