Mohammed Al Qassab
Born in Dubai, 1960 and lives in Dubai
Mohammed Al Qassab is a multidisciplinary artist whose recent focus is on building installations. Born in Dubai, he currently resides and works in Sharjah.
Al Qassab has participated for over three decades in numerous art exhibitions in the UAE and abroad including Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, and Syria. His works are housed in collections at the Sharjah Art Museum; Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Community Development in Abu Dhabi; and various private holdings throughout the Emirates. Al Qassab, a keen supporter of emerging Emirati artists, is on the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Fine Arts Society.
Many of his works have been collected by, and are on display at, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development. Burjeel Art Foundation, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sharjah Museum of Art.
In 2014 he took part in the Resident Artist programme, Dusseldorf, Germany.
He creates mixed media works that integrate ordinary objects from everyday life, calling attention to these often unnoticed materials. In his Aluminium Life series, composed of a sculpture and photographs, the artist alludes to the UAE’s large aluminum industry. Currently, the country is the world’s fifth largest exporter of this malleable metal. The series showcases products, such as cooking utensils and materials used in the nation’s construction boom, rendering them unrecognisable. For the sculpture, the artist forged the biomorphic form from recycled aluminum canisters that traditionally have served as milk containers. Al Qassab envisions Aluminum Life as a reminder to the younger generation about Emirati heritage and the importance of aluminum for their country.
He is one of the artists representing the country at the UAE National Pavillion during the 56th Venice Biennale.
