Every artwork begins somewhere, in a fleeting moment, a remembered landscape, a familiar melody or an emotion that resists expression in words. At H1 Art Gallery, the third edition of Inspired by 3 brings these private encounters into a shared space, inviting viewers to explore the delicate meeting point between imagination and reality.
Running from October 10 to 26, 2026, from 9am to 8pm, the exhibition brings together seven artists, Said al Ghammari, Zainab al Wahaibi, al Anoud al Balushi, Yousuf al Jabri, Hannah Mobtada, Anetta Szabo and Tala Kanj. Through their varied approaches and materials, they offer glimpses into the individual worlds from which their creativity emerges.
Rather than imposing a single subject or artistic direction, the exhibition gives each participant the freedom to follow personal sources of inspiration. The resulting works become visual expressions of memory, observation and feeling, reflecting the belief that art is as much about how an artist experiences the world as what the artist chooses to depict.
For Omani photographer and artist Said al Ghammari, this freedom found expression in two watercolour paintings inspired by the landscapes of Dhofar Governorate, Salalah: On the Wings of Water and Darbat: Through the Eye of the Sky.
Instead of photographing the scenery and recreating it later, al Ghammari painted directly before the landscape, allowing the moment itself to guide his brush. He left both works untouched after completing them, preserving the spontaneity of their creation. Drawing on his photographic understanding of composition, perspective and light, he simplified details and left elements open to interpretation.
For him, the unfinished or indistinct can be as meaningful as precision, giving viewers room to discover their own stories within the image.
This openness resonates across the exhibition’s diverse works. Yousuf al Jabri’s Shadow Behavior 1 and 2, a photographic print on fine art paper, explores the expressive possibilities of the photographic image. Tala Kanj’s Second Witness, rendered in charcoal on paper, offers another material language through which an artist’s perspective takes shape.
Elsewhere, Hannah Mobtada’s mixed media work Alone with Myself turns towards introspection, while Zainab al Wahaibi’s Painted My Playlist, created with watercolour and coloured pencil, draws inspiration from the personal world of music. al Anoud al Balushi’s mixed media piece The Bull with Golden Earrings adds another distinctive voice to the collection.
Together, the seven artists demonstrate how inspiration can emerge from seemingly ordinary experiences and become something deeply personal when translated into art. Ultimately, Inspired by 3 asks viewers not simply to look, but to linger. Each work offers an encounter rather than a definitive answer, leaving space for curiosity, reflection and individual interpretation. When an artist lays down the final brushstroke, the conversation continues in the eyes of the beholder.
Photos courtesy of H1 Art Gallery and Cretixone
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
