28 January 2011

Dundee lecturer to help reverse Orientalism in international exhibition

A University of Dundee lecturer is to have work that explores his experiences of visiting Yemen unveiled at a major exhibition in Paris next week.

Philip Braham, a lecturer in Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, part of the University, is among eight European artists who will be exhibiting in 'Reversing Orientalism', which opens at l’Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris on Thursday, 3rd February.

The artists spent three weeks in the capital city, Sana'a, last July following an invitation from the Yemeni government to take part in an initiative to challenge preconceptions of the country. Philip says the artists immersed themselves in Yemen’s rich culture, and were overwhelmed by the welcoming and hospitable nature of its people.

The extraordinary mix of contrasts, cultures and history allowed the artists to find a rich vein of subject matter at every turn, and reconsider the conventional view of Yemen presented in the western media. After revisiting Yemen to present their findings at the Sana’a Summer Festival, they have brought the work back to Europe, and the exhibition will tour the UK and other European countries later this year.

Philip said, 'Yemen was an amazing experience for me - a way of life preserved in amber, with ancient buildings and cultural traditions kept intact because they embody the identity of the people.

'Beyond Sana'a, the mountaintop villages have a serene air, looking down upon the rugged vista of an ancient, almost mythological landscape - defiant in the face of an encroaching modernity, and beautiful beyond belief.'

Philip's oil paintings capture the majesty of the landscape and the dusty heat of the streets of Shibam, where mud-built skyscrapers mushroom from the desert scrub. They depict the Qat plantations that have ruined the country's economy, and hint at political repression in this deeply tribal region. Above all they attempt to show the dignified stoicism that is characteristic of its people, and the pride they retain for their unspoiled landscape.

Yemen can boast more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other Arab state, as well as prehistoric islands, unspoilt landscapes, vast deserts, mountain villages, endless beaches and coral reefs, all with a huge range of biodiversity.

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