Experience Abu Dhabi in photographs at the first exhibition by the Wednesday Group Photographers. Cultural Kaleidoscope will open your eyes to a new side of the UAE.
From March 9 to 23, Cafe Arabia will be hosting an exhibition entitled Cultural Kaleidoscope. The show will feature work by 15 amateur and professional artists who are members of the Wednesday Group Photographers.
The group of photographers meet every other Wednesday 7-9pm to learn about photography and critique each other’s work. They were founded in 2006 by Saeed Nassouri, whose work will be featured in the exhibition, and his two friends Melanie and Derek English, who have since left the UAE.
Saeed says, ‘The three of us wanted to pull together a regular meeting of like-minded people so that we could learn from each other and share this mutual interest.’
The group started off small, but now each meeting draws a group of 15 to 25 photographers. In total, the group has 56 members. The meetings last about two hours with the first half of the meeting usually consisting of a lecture or demonstration of a certain technique, editing software or other topic related to photography, and the last half devoted to sharing and discussing work.
Group members often organise events and outings as well. They recently took a trip to the desert to photograph stars. They also share information about events in the city as potential photographic opportunities.
This will be the first exhibition by the Wednesday Group Photographers and they are very excited to show their work. Saeed explains, ‘There will be about 60 photographs on display, most of which will be for sale. We are also working on an online component to the exhibition so that we can reach a wider audience.’
The name Cultural Kaleidoscope references the diverse backgrounds and styles of the 15 featured artists. The exhibition will include work by artists from countries such as Italy, Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Belarus and India, as well as UAE nationals. Most of the artists work with digital cameras, capturing landscapes from around the UAE.
The members of the Wednesday Group Photographers each have different day jobs. One of the artists, Iqbal Pallam, is an accountant by trade. Another, Zubair Safdar, is an electrical engineer. Their different day jobs and experiences inform their work, their discussions and their photographic philosophies. This is evident in the range of different styles that will be represented at the exhibition.
Don’t let their non-professional status fool you though, as the Wednesday Group Photographers has all the talent and expertise of professionals. They are often asked to cover events in and around the city by organisations such as the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
If that’s not enough, see for yourself. The images on display during Cultural Kaleidoscope demonstrate the passion for the medium that all of the artists possess. Each tells a different story, many about the beauties of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Natalie Tonking is one of the artists that will take part in the exhibition. She is also helping to organise the event. Having always had a knack for taking pictures, she became serious about photography two years ago and began attending workshops and classes to learn more.
Describing her work, Natalie says, ‘The most common rule of photography is the rule of thirds. You don’t want the subject to be in the centre of the photograph, but rather on one of the lines if you divided the picture into thirds with a grid.’
Anyone can join the Wednesday Group Photographers. There are just two rules. The first is to have fun and enjoy yourself. The second is to participate. The group asks that members who attend the meetings also be an active photographer and show their work so the group can discuss and learn from them.
Meet the Wednesday Group Photographers at Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority Building, Al Dhafrah, on March 5 and March 19. Photos cost Dhs600-2,000. 8am-10.30pm, March 9-23. Cafe Arabia, 15th Street, between Airport Road and Karamah Street (02 643 9699).
