Rare opportunity to own original artwork by renowned Omani artists

-MARY OOMMEN

Art lovers in Oman will now have the rare opportunity to buy original artwork from internationally acclaimed artists at a two-week long exhibition that will be held at the Bait Al Zubair Museum. To be inaugurated on September 23, the exhibition titled “Imty with Colours of Goodness” will showcase paintings by leading artists from Oman including Anwar Sonya, Abdulkarim al Maimani, Nailah al Mamari, Yousuf al Nahawi, and Saleh al Alawi among others. These artists, have teamed up with Mariam al Zadjali, an artist of repute herself, to raise funds for the conservation and restoration of Imty, one of Oman’s many abandoned villages.

According to Mariam al Zadjali, “This exhibition is one of other similar projects being undertaken as part of the artistic cultural tourism project in Imty village called ‘Immortalising the Archaeological Moment in Art’. This project aims to conserve Oman’s cultural legacy and the artists participating in this exhibition have given their support to ensure that Imty gets a new lease of life.” Tucked away among Oman deserts and mountains are old abandoned settlements that still exude the charm and character of a bygone era. Unfortunately, most of these are falling apart, taking with them the only glimpse of life in old Oman.

Imty was one such place that caught the attention of Mariam al Zadjali, who happened to stumble upon it on a trip to Nizwa. The narrow streets of this 300-year-old abandoned settlement are lined with houses made of rocks excavated from the mountains that stand behind it like sentinels. Mariam was both fascinated by her find and dismayed at the levels of neglect that it was in. This exhibition is one of the many initiatives that Mariam al Zadjali is undertaking to preserve Imty. Mariam believes that active support is needed for the conservation of Oman’s heritage and to promote deeper understanding of the Sultanate’s rich past by calling attention to decaying old settlements in a hope to be able to protect what remains.