Ahazeej “Chants” by Fathima Mohiuddin
Date:
Sunday 18 May, 2025
Venue:
The Flag Island, Sharjah
For the Amphitheatre on Flag Island in Sharjah, the mural Ahazeej “Chants” by UAE-based artist Fathima Mohiuddin, AKA Fatspatrol, hones in on the notion of amplified voices in the act of performance. Adorning either sides of the amphitheater’s curving walls, traditional male and female singers are depicted while performing, filling the area with their voices and the sounds of clapping or drumming on traditional instruments such as the Daff and Al-Ras. Some of them are shown while playing music on an Oud or sway their hair during traditional dance performances known as Al Nasha’at, typically shown in heritage-based gatherings in the Emirates. Kept in a stark contrast of black and white, these contemporary-looking, abstract figures are cultural performers preserving and celebrating Emirati traditions, expressing themselves in a dynamic Emirate of cultural progress.
