Do not miss these four exhibitions in the region this week.

Outsiders/Insiders, MACAAL, Marrakech

The exhibition Outsiders/Insiders? Essaouira Artists, Fondation Alliances and Fundación Yannick y Ben Jakober Collections presents a selection of works of artists from Essaouira from the Yannick and Ben Jakober Collections. This collection show includes the kinds of Mohamed Tabal, Ali Maimoun, Regragui Bouslai and Abdelmalek Berhiss – an appealing selection of artists whom we do not get to see very often. Through a variety of media, previously unseen artworks and different kinds of archival material, the exhibition attempts to reveal how a small port town, exposed to a multitude of influences, became a fertile soil for the rise of a singular creative scene.

The exhibition closes on 25 July 2021.

Contemporary African Art, JNGFA, Amman

The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts presents an exhibition investigating contemporary African art from the museum’s collection. This exhibition is one of the few shows in Amman that present a group show on African artists, examining the diverse continent.

The exhibition closes on 30 December 2021.

Young Emerging Artist Prize, Stal Gallery, Muscat

The Young Emerging Artist Prize (YEAP) is instigated to support the Omani youth. Curated by artist and director of Stal Gallery, Hassan Al Meer, the 5th Annual YEAP 2020 exhibition groups together both established and emerging artists that have conceptualised new ideas addressing social issues, politics, and religion. Seen from a different spectrum, the work of artists provides enlightenment and deeper understanding of the world that we live in. The featured Omani artists include: Hadia Al Qasimi, Mujahid Almalki, Farah Mubarak, Mahmood Al Zadjali, Majeda Al Hinai, Arwa Al Jahwari, Farah Asqul, Bashayer Al Naaimi, and Said Al Jahdhami.

The exhibition closes in April 2021.

Lasting Impressions: Baya Mahieddine, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah

For its 11th edition of Lasting Impressions, the Sharjah Art Museum presents a major survey exhibition for one of Algeria’s most prolific artists, Baya Mahieddine. Curated by Alya Al-Mulla and Suheyla Takesh, the exhibition brings together more than 70 works spanning different periods. Often associated with the Surrealist art movement, Baya took her inspiration from homeland Algeria where she was orphaned from an early age, adopted, discovered, started a family, and celebrated as an artist. Her paintings are derived from her dreams and intimate universe, using rich symbols and ornamentation, Baya’s world is manifested in colourful and playful imagery of women figures, animals, fruits, trees and flowers.

The exhibition closes on 31 July 2021.