Issue 5-1

During a global economic crash, Canvas continues to study the art world with an Orientalist issue including the Shafik Gabr Collection as well as Mathaf Gallery’s The Lure of the East, British Orientalist Painting exhibition which arrives at Sharjah Art Museum in February. We also review two major art fairs: ArtParis-Abu Dhabi and Art Basel Miami Beach and look forward to Sotheby’s first-ever major international auction series in the Middle East. In addition, this issue features British artists depicting Middle Eastern conflicts and the Khalili Collection encompassing Islamic metalwork pieces from the seventh to the 19th centuries. Featured artists include Egyptian Mohammed Abla, Tunisian ceramicist, painter and sculptor Khaled Ben Slimane and Iranian calligrapher Golnaz Fathi. Finally, we take a look at Van-Leo’s work on mid-20th century Cairo, New York photographer Zaida Ben-Yusuf and delve into the world of Rana Salam’s oriental hybrid designs.