250 artists on show at Islamic Arts Festival in Sharjah next month

More than 250 artists will take part in a month-long art and heritage festival starting on January 6.

Young Emirati painters will be among more than 250 artists taking part in this year’s Islamic Arts Festival in Sharjah next month.

The month-long event, the 16th edition of the festival, begins on January 6 and coincides with the emirate’s celebration of being named capital of Islamic Culture for 2014.

There will be 46 exhibitions and 731 artworks showcased.

Organisers said the festival and the artworks would reflect global contemporary trends and modern visual art movements. It will also include first-time exhibitions of young artists who have gone beyond classical trends in Islamic arts.

Other works include a display of Turkish Variations – a collection of classical calligraphic artwork – a range of prayer beads made from different kinds of stones and shapes, and ebru (marbling) art related to Islamic heritage.

Artists from Uzbekistan will exhibit handicrafts decorated with calligraphy and Islamic ornaments. The event will also include an exhibition by the Union of Arab Photographers, titled Islam between the East and the West.

The Emirates Fine Arts Society will hold a competition for the best work of Islamic art.

The festival will hold about 86 workshops detailing different trends and styles, 13 video presentations, four training courses, 58 field visits and a religious singing concert.

A group of academics from different Arab countries will take part in a seminar. Nearly 30 seminars and lectures on Islamic arts will be held in Sharjah and the Eastern Region during the festival.