British and Omani artists to exhibit at Stal Gallery

A new exhibition bringing together British and Omani artists will open at Stal Gallery on Monday, November 9, as part of the British Festival 2026.

Held under the patronage of Dr Liane Saunders OBE, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Oman, the exhibition will present contemporary works celebrating the two countries’ shared interest in art and culture. It is organised in collaboration with the British Omani Society, Stal Gallery and Alserkal.

The collection explores Oman’s landscapes, heritage and everyday life through portraits, landscapes, still lifes, animal paintings and figurative compositions. Works draw on subjects ranging from the country’s natural scenery and traditional architecture to Bedouin culture and local customs.

The exhibition features works developed through British Omani Society workshops supporting emerging Omani artists.

British artists featured include Lucy Corbett, Michelle McCullagh, Polly Gedney and Heather Ford. The Omani artists taking part are Ahmed al Qasmi, Al Muntasir Nasser, Sara al Hosni, Hajar al Jufaili, Jumaa al Batashi, Majid al Amri, Oshibah al Sandi, Sami Syabi, Sarah al Loughani, Waad al Kiyumi, Yahya al Mujaihli and Yaqoob al bulushi.

Corbett, who has worked extensively in Oman, presents “Cooking” and “The Grand Mosque”, both painted from life. “Cooking” captures a meal being prepared during a visit to a Bedouin camp earlier this year. McCullagh, one of the UK’s leading equine artists, contributes “Resting at Sunset in Sandstorm”, created in Oman during a sandstorm. Ford’s works include “Omani Mother and Children” and “Freedom”, reflecting the influence of her years living and working in the Sultanate.

Several of the Omani artists’ works grew out of workshops organised by the British Omani Society to support emerging artists. Ahmed al Qasmi’s “Antique” and “Still Life with Green Jug”, Al Muntasir Nasser’s “The Road” and works by Sara Al Hosni are among those created through the workshops. The three artists were among four Omani participants who spent a month in the UK in 2024.

Other Omani artists in the exhibition took part in British Omani artists workshops earlier this year. Their participation brings together artists at different stages of their practice and reflects the society’s ongoing support for emerging talent in Oman.

“Visitors have the opportunity to discover Oman’s natural environment through paintings depicting Yiti, Wadi Al Arbeieen and desert landscapes; explore its traditional architecture; and gain insights into everyday life, including Bedouin culture, camels and local traditions,” said Volodymyra Sobolevska of Stal Gallery.

She said the partnership between the British Embassy and Stal Gallery demonstrates the importance of collaboration in strengthening cultural diplomacy between Oman and the United Kingdom. The exhibition, she added, reflects the cultural connections between the two nations through the artists’ different perspectives on Oman.

The exhibition will open at 7pm on November 9 at Stal Gallery in Madinat Qaboos, Muscat, and will run until November 14. During the exhibition, the gallery will offer guided art tours for educational and tourism institutions, led by Sobolevska.