At a time when the Sultanate of Oman is celebrating Omani Women’s Day, there is a woman who deserves appreciation for her courage that finally led to her passion for photography and adventure tourism for the sake of her passion.
There is an exhibition titled ‘Mount Hajar Adventure Exhibition’ inaugurated on Sunday at Waterfront Mall Art & Soul Gallery.
As the title suggests the exhibition brings in the scenes of Al Hajar Mountain from an adventurer’s point of view while exploring the mountain.
The adventurer is none other than Muna al Shidhani, a photographer who began her journey in 2010 venturing into portraits, street photography and landscapes.
“For the last two years, I have been focusing on adventure tourism in the Sultanate of Oman. I took one whole year to explore 18 different places and 27 trips,” said Muna.
These places are depicted in 40 photographs, which are on display at the exhibition. Some of them are in Muscat, others are at Al Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah and other governorates.
The objective is to narrate adventure tourism through photography.
“The Sultanate of Oman has different landscapes so in terms of adventure people have a variety of choices,” she noted.
Mount Hajar Adventure Exhibition is a solo exhibition by Muna al Shidhani that highlights the adventures that can be practised in the Sultanate of Oman, as the country flourishes with diverse terrains allowing adventure enthusiasts to explore hiking, canyoning, climbing and Via Ferrata. The exhibition presents these adventures in an artistic way that highlights the beauty and charm of the Sultanate of Oman’s nature.
Through this exhibition, the photographer aims to motivate young people to get out of their comfort zone and endear them to nature adventures.
“We need to get closer to nature and take a break from electronic devices,” she said.
The Sultanate of Oman’s landscape has attracted international adventurist, she pointed out, adding, “One of my favourite places is Hadish, Nakhl in South al Batinah.
I have spoken to international adventurists and they said the landscape is wonderful to explore and is unique in many places.
Visual art can send a message that cannot be described in words. Here the beauty can be seen,” Muna said.
The photographs invite one to explore the places on your own.
A person like Muna deserves appreciation for her courage on the occasion of Omani Women’s Day.
@lakshmioman
