Wednesday 19 / March / 2025
What makes an artist an artist? This is a question that has come up for many years vis-a-vis artists, with thousands of definitions and meanings that translate into a variety of things, some of which make no sense, but for Ali Al Sharji an artist is a person who conveys a message through visuals, inspiring those around him with his art.
Al Sharji is an Omani conceptual artist and film photographer born and raised in Muscat. He always had a thing for art, but never had the opportunity to express it freely, and out loud. His artistic journey started when he was 12.
As Al Sharji could not share his dark thoughts with anyone but himself, he became acquainted with poetry and started filling up books with his deepest secrets, feelings, and a whole lot of thoughts, but that wasn’t enough for the young artist. He needed to find his voice, to share his thoughts with the world and express himself through it, and what other way to do that than the imaginative world of photography and film.
The best part about photography is that you express it all without the need to justify yourself to a single soul, making your message clear and unquestionable, and this was Al Sharji’s dream — to be himself without being criticised. For him, concept photography represents a psychological healing tool, which he truly values. It eases the process of expressing emotions and behaviour, as well as relieving a load of stress.
“It’s my way out from reality,” explained the artist, adding that “sometimes it does feel like reality and that is the beauty of it”. Al Sharji’s body of work is majorly influenced by his very own thoughts, with fleeting reflections of current affairs and social issues. “I have these rebellious kinds of thoughts inside me that generate the influential element in my work.”
He has achieved so much in his field. Al Sharji’s work has been exhibited in London, Milan, and will soon be shown in California, as well as in neighbouring countries. Al Sharji has also won a number of awards, including the “You’re Not Alone” competition organised by Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said, as well as the prestigious Loud Art showcase in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where he won the Artist of 2015-2016 award.
Concept art has a unique way of delivering messages to viewers, and Al Sharji is certainly on top of it. This talented soul is bound to achieve bigger things and attain more glory on the road to international success.
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