Hassan Sharif
-
Biography
Hassan Sharif (1951–2016) was born in Bandar Lengeh, Iran and lived and worked in Dubai. Recognized as a pioneer of conceptual art and experimental practice in the Middle East, Sharif's artworks surpass the limits of any single discipline, encompassing performance, installation, drawing, painting, and assemblage. Beginning in the late 1970s, he worked as a cultural producer and facilitator, moving between roles as artist, educator, critic, activist, and mentor to contemporary artists in the United Arab Emirates.
After familiarizing himself with the ideas of Dada and Fluxus art during his studies in the early 1980s at Byam Shaw School of Art in London (now Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design), Sharif created performance-based works that engaged with repetition, landscape, and the body. Sharif first incorporated weaving into his art making process as a part of his Objects series (1982–2016) as a means of critically exploring the increasing modernization and industrialization occurring in the U.A.E.
An acute awareness of his environment led Sharif to embrace constant experimentation and a variety of materials. In his body of work focused on experiments and semi-systems, he utilized the grid to draft constructivist structures. Sharif aimed to create art that was linked to society and spoke to universal aspects of daily life, using everyday objects to critically reflect contemporary concerns such as consumerism, manufacturing, and the commercialization of handicrafts.
Hassan Sharif’s work was recently featured in a two-person exhibition, The Art Library: Manal AlDowayan and Hassan Sharif, at Misk Art Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hassan Sharif: Woven, a publication released in both Arabic and English, was published on occasion of the show (2023). The artist’s work was the subject of a 2017 retrospective, Hassan Sharif: I Am The Single Work Artist, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi at the Sharjah Art Foundation, which traveled to the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany (2020); Malmö Konsthall, Sweden (2020); and the The Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporaine de Saint-Étienne Métropole (MAMC+), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (2021).
Sharif was a founding member of the Emirates Fine Art Society and of the Art Atelier in the Youth Theater and Arts, Dubai, U.A.E. In 2007, he was one of four artists to establish The Flying House, a Dubai institution for promoting contemporary Emirati artists. The first Emirati to have his work shown in Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, Sharif was also among the selected artists to represent the U.A.E. during its first national pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009. In 2011, Sharif was the subject of a retrospective exhibition, Hassan Sharif: Experiments & Objects 1979-2011, curated by Catherine David and Mohammed Kazem and presented by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage/Platform for Visual Arts, U.A.E. His work has been shown in recent exhibitions including, Viva Arte Viva, 57th Venice Biennale, Italy (2017); The Creative Act: Performance • Process • Presence, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. (2017); But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Underground, 1988-2008, New York University Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. (2017); Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar (2016); the Sharjah Biennial, U.A.E. (2015); Whitechapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom (2015); New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY (2014); Fundação Casa França-Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2014); and the International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2012), among others. Sharif’s artwork is included in the collections of the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; M+ Museum, Hong Kong; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar; Sharjah Art Foundation, U.A.E.; Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, U.A.E.; Sittard Center, The Netherlands; Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; and Guggenheim, New York, NY. Sharif’s work was on view at the Sharjah Art Foundation in 2016 as part of the exhibitions Do It, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi and Hans Ulrich Obrist, and 1980–Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, which was first featured at the Emirati Pavilion during the 56th Venice Biennale, Italy in 2015. The Estate of Hassan Sharif is also represented by Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai, and GB Agency, Paris.
-
Exhibitions
-
Hassan Sharif
Political Paintings (2008–2009) 17 March - 23 April 2022 New YorkAlexander Gray Associates, New York presented Hassan Sharif: Political Paintings (2008–2009). While Sharif (1951–2016) is best known for his sculptural compositions, he was a dedicated painter—insisting, “It is so easy...Read more -
Hassan Sharif and Regina Silveira
Between Perception and the World 10 December 2021 - 27 February 2022 GermantownAlexander Gray Associates, Germantown presented Between Perception and the World, a two-person exhibition of work by Hassan Sharif (1951–2016) and Regina Silveira (b.1939). Placing these two artists in dialogue, the...Read more -
Between the Lines
11 September - 17 October 2020 New YorkAlexander Gray Associates, New York presented Between the Lines, a group exhibition of recent and historic sculptures and works on paper by Luis Camnitzer, Jennie C. Jones, Hassan Sharif, Valeska...Read more -
Hassan Sharif
Iron No. 3 1 February - 1 March 2020 GermantownAlder & Co., 222 Main Street, Germantown NY 12526 Hours: Friday – Sunday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Known as the “father of modern art in the United Arab Emirates,'...Read more -
Hassan Sharif
Semi-Systems 4 January - 10 February 2018 New YorkAlexander Gray Associates presented Hassan Sharif: Semi Systems, the Gallery’s fourth exhibition of work by the artist (b.1951, Iran – d.2016, Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Focused on Sharif’s use of...Read more -
Haptic
7 July - 12 August 2016 New YorkHaptic: of or relating to the sense of touch, in particular relating to the perception and manipulation of objects using the senses of touch and proprioception. Alexander Gray Associates presented...Read more -
Hassan Sharif
7 April - 14 May 2016 New YorkAlexander Gray Associates presented recent work by Hassan Sharif (b.1951), featuring sculptures and woven assemblages. Recognized as a pioneer of conceptual art and experimental practice in the United Arab Emirates...Read more -
Hassan Sharif
8 January - 14 February 2014 New YorkArtist Conversation: Friday, January 17, 2014, 6:00 pm Alexander Gray Associates presented an exhibition featuring recent works by Hassan Sharif, accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalog and a conversation between the...Read more -
Broken Spaces: Cut, Mark, and Gesture
27 February - 6 April 2013 New YorkBroken Spaces: Cut, Mark, and Gesture Luis Camnitzer Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe Harmony Hammond Lorraine O'Grady Hassan Sharif Jack Whitten Inaugurating its representation of Harmony Hammond, Alexander Gray Associates presented Broken Spaces:...Read more -
Hassan Sharif
5 January - 11 February 2012 New YorkAlexander Gray Associates presented Emirati artist Hassan Sharif's first solo exhibition in the United States. To introduce his work to a New York audience, the Gallery organized a micro-retrospective of...Read more
-
-
Public Collections
Aldar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Centre Pompidou, Paris
Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
Frac Bretagne, Rennes, France
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Guggenheim, New York
Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
JP Morgan Chase Art Collection, New York, NY
Louvre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
M+ Museum, Hong Kong
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
Museé d’art moderne et contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland
Museum of Contemporary Art, Yinchuan, China
NYU Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Salama bint Hamdan Foundation, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates
Sharjah Art Museum, United Arab Emirates
Tate Modern, London
Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -
News / Events
-
Hassan Sharif
Chaleur Humaine at Triennale Art & Industrie, Lieu d’Art et Action Contemporaine — Musée de France (LAAC) June 10, 2023–January 14, 2024Hassan Sharif is included in a group exhibition, Chaleur Humaine at Triennale Art & Industrie, Lieu d’Art et Action Contemporaine — Musée de France (LAAC), Dunkerque, France.
-
Hassan Sharif: Cotton Rope No. 7, 2012
M+ Museum March 2023–December 2023Hassan Sharif is included as a part of the inititative M+ Facade in which artworks from the Museum's collection are displayed on a 213 x 360-foot-wide screen facing Victoria Habor in Hong Kong.
-
Hassan Sharif
Stories of Paper at Louvre Abu Dhabi April 20– July 24, 2022Hassan Sharif included in the group exhibition Stories of Paper at Louvre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
-
-
Articles / Reviews
-
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Stories of Paper is the biography of a versatile medium
Gulf Today10 May 2022 Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, inaugurated Louvre Abu Dhabi’s second... Read more -
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s New Exhibition, Stories of Paper, Opens To The Public
Outlook India29 April 2022 Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, inaugurated Louvre Abu Dhabi’s second... Read more -
Look: Louvre Abu Dhabi's 'Stories of Paper'
Gulf News20 April 2022 About 100 artworks and objects from 16 museums and private collections on display ... View full slideshow at gulfnews.com . Read more -
What to expect from Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim's exhibition at Venice Biennale 2022
The National News18 April 2022 Ibrahim is part of a distinct group of UAE artists referred to as “The Five”. This tight-knit avant-garde community also... Read more -
Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed visits 'Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives' exhibition
Emirates News Agency WAM15 April 2022 ABU DHABI, 14th April, 2022 (WAM) -- H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council... Read more -
Your Concise New York Art Guide for March 2022
Hyperallergic28 February 2022 There’s a “what if…” energy electrifying some of the most exciting exhibitions in New York City this month, speculative propositions... Read more -
The Dream of a Museum at Hong Kong's M+
Ocula15 December 2021 One doesn't enter a dream intentionally; one drifts into it. Like wandering into a garden: a meaningful meander in space... Read more -
A look back: the five UAE artists who shaped the country's contemporary art scene
The National News2 December 2021 It was almost a decade after the creation of the UAE that its art scene started to take shape. In... Read more -
ABDULRAHEEM ON HASSAN: MY BROTHER, MY FRIEND, MY TEACHER
Selections6 October 2021 Hassan was my friend more than my younger brother. We shared everything, told each other everything, we never kept secrets... Read more -
Hassan Sharif “I am the single Work Artist” at Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne métropole
Mousse Magazine24 September 2021 Hassan Sharif was born in Iran, studied in London, and lived in Dubai, where he became a pioneer of Conceptual... Read more -
Between the Lines
The Brooklyn Rail23 October 2020 “When I read between the lines the paper stares back at me telling that I haven’t wondered enough,” reads the... Read more -
Show of pioneering Emirati artist Hassan Sharif opens in Sweden
Al Arabiya21 October 2020 The major retrospective ‘Hassan Sharif: I Am The Single Work Artist,’ organized in collaboration with Sharjah Art Foundation, is now... Read more -
Hassan Sharif: I Am The Single Work Artist Exhibit Travels from Sharjah, UAE to Malmö, Sweden
Al Bawaba13 October 2020 The Sharjah Art Foundation exhibition Hassan Sharif: I Am The Single Work Artist is currently on view at Malmö Konsthall... Read more -
Between the Lines
Artland10 September 2020 Jennie C. Jones anchors the presentation with two 2016 groupings of drawings from her ongoing series Score for Sustained Blackness.... Read more -
Galleries: Catch-up sessions in the Marais
Libération1 June 2020 Hassan Sharif, through the media Regaining control over the delirious flow of information, pinning it to the ground and immobilizing... Read more -
Berlin honours Emirati artist Hassan Sharif with retrospective
Gulf Today16 March 2020 In collaboration with Sharjah Art Foundation and Malmö Konsthall (Sweden), KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, is presenting the first... Read more -
'I found myself in a stunning site': Sharjah takes its turn in the cinema spotlight
The National16 March 2020 Akram Zaatari’s ‘The Landing’ also pays tribute to the late Emirati artist Hassan Sharif For The Landing , a Sharjah... Read more -
Arts Must Visit: Contemporary Emirati Artist Hassan Sharif’s Traveling Exhibition Makes its Way to Berlin and Sweden
Scoop Empire10 March 2020 Titled ‘I Am The Single Work Artist’, the Sharjah’s Art Foundation’s exhibition on the Emirati modern artist Hassan Sharif has... Read more -
Editors Picks: 19 Things Not to Miss in New York’s Art World This Week
artnet News13 January 2020 Each week, we search New York City for the most exciting and thought-provoking shows, screenings, and events. See them below.... Read more -
Highlights From Art Basel: 14 Middle Eastern Artists
Harper's Bazaar Arabia19 June 2019 The UAE’s iconic artist, the late Hassan Sharif (1951 – 2016), was in the spotlight in the Statements section through... Read more -
Old Town Road: Out and About in Basel’s Parcours Section, Where Works by Camille Henrot, Hassan Sharif, and More Await
ARTnews13 June 2019 After a couple of days viewing art in antiseptic art-fair booths, Art Basel ’s Parcours section presents a refreshing chance... Read more -
8 Must-See Public Art Projects Enlivening Art Basel
Galerie Magazine7 June 2019 The fair Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, features a popular section that’s accessible to everyone: Parcours, which returns for its... Read more -
The pioneers of contemporary art in the UAE
Gulf News24 April 2019 Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and the late Hassan Sharif belong to a group of contemporary Emirati artists known as ‘the five’... Read more -
Is major survey of conceptual art pioneer Hassan Sharif heading to New York's Guggenheim?
The Art Newspaper21 August 2018 A survey of the late Emirati artist Hassan Sharif could go on show at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.... Read more -
Hassan Sharif, Sharjah Art Foundation
Artforum5 February 2018 Hassan Sharif, who died in September 2016, is broadly credited with bringing international art idioms such as Conceptualism to the... Read more -
Hassan Sharif
Art in America1 February 2018 Among the most affecting pieces in this retrospective of work by Emirati conceptualist Hassan Sharif (1951–2016) was Images on Tracing... Read more -
9 Art Events to Attend in New York City This Week
ARTnews2 January 2018 Opening: Hassan Sharif at Alexander Gray Associates Currently on view at the Sharjah Art Foundation in the United Arab Emirates... Read more -
The Materials Man of the Emirates
The New York Times28 December 2017 SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates — Ethnic profiling is business as usual in the contemporary art market. Artists from outside the... Read more -
Secret objects tell life story of Emirati conceptual pioneer Hassan Sharif
The Art Newspaper28 November 2017 The contents of Hassan Sharif’s studio—on show in a retrospective of the late Dubai-born polymath’s works at the Sharjah Art... Read more -
Hassan Sharif
Artforum5 November 2017 Displayed at the top of the stairs leading down to the gallery’s main exhibition space for Hassan Sharif’s “Reading Is... Read more -
HASSAN SHARIF (ca. 1951–2016)
Artforum15 February 2017 TALKING ABOUT COURAGE would be a bit grandiose for Hassan Sharif. He dismissed the labels put on him in the... Read more -
Process and Provocation: An Interview with Hassan Sharif
Art in America28 January 2014 An artist long prominent in his home of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, Hassan Sharif recently established an international... Read more -
Paths to the World, Paths Home
Nafas Art Magazine5 September 2009 It began around 1981 when Hassan Sharif, a young fine arts student from Dubai, completed his foundation courses at the... Read more
-