Art has no boundaries. It flourishes with the assimilation of cultures, interactions and participations.
Farideh Zariv, an artist from the Sultanate of Oman reflected on her participation in the recently concluded Third International Biennale in Tashkent.
She was glad to be a part of the Biennale in Tashkent and called for a regular exchange of ideas among the artists.
“My own experience about the Biennale is quite fulfilling as every moment I felt like learning something… I also think that by participating in such international exhibitions, artists’ artworks get exposed to wider judgement and competition. They become familiar with the current trends.”
Farideh and Dr Nasser Palangi were two artists from the Sultanate of Oman among a total of 37 who came from different parts of the world to take part in the Biennale event.
Dr Nasser Palangi is a renowned artist in Oman. He is an Associate Professor in the Scientific College of Design (SCD) in the Fine Arts department, Muscat. Reflecting on the role of the artists he said, “The artists live in the moment and try to preserve those moments for the future. He feels that every family and country has its own history, pattern and typical culture.
Farideh Zariv came to Oman in 2017 and has participated in solo and group exhibitions around the world. She has been a practising artist for thirty years, and she has twenty years of experience as a gallery director and art curator in Iran (Middle East Art Gallery) and Amin Art gallery, as well as in Australia (Palangi Art Gallery).
At the Biennale in Tashkent she exhibited two of her collections from her work ‘Spirit of Horses’ at the Art Gallery of the Bank museum of Tashkent. The museum kept her works as the artist’s collected pieces.
“Horses are noble, intelligent and sensitive, which explains why they are one of the most popular animals in the world. Throughout history, they have been revered and admired for their remarkable elegance and charm. In addition, they have been inspired writers, poets and artists for centuries. I have always been inspired by them since childhood’’, said Farideh while explaining her artwork.
Commenting on her style, she said: “First I create the abstract background and then I choose my concept to create symbolism paintings. Creative abstract art can be incredibly fun and rewarding but it can also be very challenging and tricky. I am going to share with you all my tips, tools, and secrets. I like to revisit the fundamentals, and channel the creativity.”
Farideh makes lots of layers to create depth and visual interest. “It looks like complex and difficult, but actually it is quite easy, but only after understanding the concept and some basic rules… I practise abstract style that is called Marbling.”
“Marbling became popular as a handicraft in the nineteenth century after the publication of The Art of Marbling by Charles Woolnough in 1853. Today, this technique is used not only on paper but also on canvas and any other material such as iron, wood, fabric, etc,” she said.
