Sharjah Art Foundation To Unveil Exhibitions By Bouchra Khalili And Emily Karaka
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These coinciding exhibitions will run from 7 September to 1 December 2024
7 September 2024 saw the Sharjah Art Foundation unveil two significant exhibitions, “Emily Karaka: Ka Awatea, A New Dawn” and “Bouchra Khalili: Between Circles and Constellations.” These exhibitions will run until 1 December 2024, and offer a profound exploration of diverse artistic perspectives.
The First Exhibition
Bouchra Khalili: Between Circles and Constellations will be showcased across Galleries 4, 5, and 6 at Al Mureijah Art Spaces and Bait Habib Yousef in Al Mureijah Square. This exhibition, which first debuted at MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, highlights Khalili’s powerful narrative work.
Known for her focus on migrant and marginalised voices, Khalili presents a range of projects from the past two decades, including the regional premiere of “The Public Storyteller” (2024). Through film, photography, print, and installation, Khalili’s work challenges conventional narratives, creating space for ‘civic poets’ to share their stories and redefine history.
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The Second Exhibition
Curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Amal Al Ali, and Meera Madhu, this exhibition is a call for radical citizenship and collective emancipation. In Galleries 1, 2, and 3 at Al Mureijah Art Spaces, “Emily Karaka: Ka Awatea, A New Dawn” will present the first major survey of this Senior Māori artist’s work.
Karaka, a descendant of Auckland’s Iwi tribes, offers a vibrant and politically charged collection of abstract expressionist art. Her self-taught, passion-driven creations are deeply rooted in Māori rights and the Treaty of Waitangi. Karaka’s paintings, known for their intense colour and grand scale, embody themes of sovereignty, environmental care, and familial love. 
A Powerful MessageThis exhibition features a selection of her work from over five decades, including new pieces commissioned specifically for this event. Curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Amal Alkhaja, and Abdulla Aljanahi, it celebrates Karaka’s powerful artistic voice and her advocacy for iwi justice.
These exhibitions offer an opportunity to engage with pivotal works by two influential artists, each contributing a unique vision to the global art landscape.
