First occupations
The sultanate boasts no fewer than five UNESCO World Heritage sites. Among these, Bahla Fort was protected in 1987. The archaeological sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn offer one of the world's most sumptuous combinations of nature and history. The palm-fringed necropolis, towers and remains of settlements date back 4,000-5,000 years. The ancient peoples of Oman have thus bequeathed their solution to the pressure of a growing population and contact with other civilizations. Apart from the occasional damage caused by time, climate and erosion, the sites are generally in an excellent state of preservation, and their cultural value has only increased with time.
The Musandam peninsula is home to famous rock carvings and paintings, notably at Tawi. Of prehistoric origin, the animals incised into the stone have yet to reveal all their secrets. Objects from prehistory to the present day have been brought together in the twelve galleries of the National Museum of Oman. Since 2016, the institution has been presenting Oman's heritage through more than 7,000 relics.
On the Mutrah corniche, the Muscat Gate Museum traces the country's history from Neolithic times to the present day. Its architecture, inspired by the ancient city gates, houses a rich collection of inscriptions engraved in rock, found during excavations and in caves in the region. Since 2007, the Bait Al Baranda (Mutrah) Museum , housed in a splendid early 19th-century mansion, has also been retracing Muscat's history, through old photographs and objects from nearby archaeological sites, among other treasures.
Emergence of paint
It wasn't until the end of the 20th century that painting as an artistic discipline aroused interest. The Omani Society for Fine Arts, the first association to promote the art of painting, was founded in 1993 at the instigation of the Sultan. In addition to giving legitimacy to the practice, the royal organization provides equipment and invites foreign artists to teach in Oman. Competitions reward the most talented. Although all styles are accepted - still life, landscapes or abstraction - religion and the national heritage remain the artists' primary focus. Few painters, however, make a living from their art, even if attitudes are slowly changing thanks to a few private initiatives.
The Place & People Museum on the Mutrah corniche exhibits some of these Omani artists. This modest establishment combines tradition and modernity with a most seductive savoir-faire. After wandering through the rooms of a traditional residence, dotted with cheerfully staged artifacts, visitors can move on to a small modern art gallery with minimalist accents. Culture shock guaranteed.
Since 2005, the Bait Al Zubair Foundation has been multiplying projects to promote culture and heritage. With one foot in Oman's exceptional heritage and one foot in the future, it encourages the younger generation to familiarize themselves with innovative trends while protecting its past. On the foundation's site, Gallery Sarah pays tribute to Sarah White, well known in the Omani art world for her contributions to promoting local artists internationally. It is the first and most important contemporary art gallery in Oman.
Contemporary scene
There's no need to look for a contemporary art museum in Oman - there just aren't any. However, several dynamic art galleries make up for the lack by opening up modern Omani art to the world. The must-see Bait Muzna gallery, opposite the Al Zubair Museum, exhibits the work of Oman's most renowned artists. Founded by Sayyida Susan Al Said in 2000, the gallery promotes contemporary art while preserving the essence of Arab art through major local and international commissions. High-quality exhibitions are organized throughout the year. The gallery's artists also take part in Art Paris-Abu-Dhabi, the Middle East's most important international modern and contemporary art fair. As a result, some twenty artists from Oman are currently enjoying recognition beyond their borders.
Hassan Meer and Anwar Sonya epitomize this phenomenon. Hassan Meer, born in 1972 and a frequent award-winner, exhibits his paintings, photographs and installations worldwide. Although his work is firmly rooted in Omani culture, his treatment of the subject makes this artist a symbol of the new stage the country is taking on the world art scene. Spirituality and childhood memories are combined in refined works of transparent superimpositions, paintings with sometimes ghostly, sometimes naive silhouettes. During his university studies, Hassan founded the Circle Show with the aim of encouraging experimental art in the sultanate. The association continues its work as a platform for emerging artists.
Founder of the Omani Art Mouvement, pioneer of the Omani pictorial revival, Anwar Sonya has been interested in modern currents since the 1990s. He claims to be inspired by the mystical spirit of Dhofar to compose works that blend Arabic calligraphy and abstraction. Acclaimed in his homeland and celebrated at numerous international events, Anwar Sonya is living proof that the Sultanate knows how to appreciate the most innovative art forms.
Jamal Abdul Rahim, one of his country's firmly established artists, exhibits worldwide. A painter and engraver, he also dabbles in sculpture, and claims that he simply extracts all the beauty already present at the heart of the stone blocks.
As for Enaam Ahmed, she has the distinction of being Oman's most celebrated female artist. Her art is rooted in vanished civilizations, and more specifically in ancient writings and the stories they convey.
The art of photography
True to its thirst for modernism, the country gives pride of place to photographic art. Unique concepts combine artistic photography with local culture. As in painting, the land of origin is a prime source of inspiration. To sketch a panorama in a few names, Wadah Al Musafir, born in 1983 in Muscat, studied cinema before teaching and developing his career as a deliberately humanist photographer. Nadia Al Amri, Ahmed Al Shukaili and Ahmed Altoqi all won awards for their black and white images at the Bahrain Art Fair. They share a passion for Oman and its changing light, which casts unrivalled contrasting reflections on the landscape. Through their work, they convey their fascination with the culture and natural beauty of their homeland.
Al Amri uses his lens to capture the deeper meaning of his models, women posing in surreal settings. Altoqi's images tell of a thousand-year-old heritage, but also of the dignity of a people with a big heart. A profound wisdom emanates from her landscapes and portraits of everyday people.
From wood to water
The young sculptor Hussein al Shaikh, born in 1993, has a powerful relationship with wood. Curious, he perfects all the artistic techniques within his reach during his travels. His preference inevitably leads him back to wood. His work "Feet" tells the story of his ancestors on one side of the foot, and his contemporaries on the other.
As far as public sculpture is concerned, Giles Rayner's Arches d'Oman forms two tapering steel tusks, intertwined towards the top, with water spouting from jets quilted between them. The graceful 12-metre fountain is set against the sky in front of the Royal Opera House, reflecting the surrounding architecture. Another water game, Charybdis II by William Pye, lets water shape the space. Controlled by a bank, the vortex rises from a cylinder, then a pump system directly sculpts the translucent bluish water at variable levels. Striking!
The rise of street art
The desert may invade most of the country, but it leaves plenty of room for Omani creativity. In the streets, but also when crossing the desert expanses, you'll see the occasional graffiti. On the pillar of a concrete bridge, a fortress face, surmounted by a flag, rubs shoulders with an abstract drawing that echoes its colors.
In the capital, spray-painting, once frowned upon, has gained acceptance. Its popularity continues to grow, to the extent that timid frescoes are emerging on staircases and bridges. All proof of a changing mindset. The uniformity of Muscat's streets is brightened up by the multicolored inspirations of graffiti artists.
In his early days, Al Maskari was the leader, using any spray paint he could get his hands on. His works were left to be photographed and shared. But he dreamed of having proper equipment and a more official status.
In spite of himself, Al Rashdi triggered this small revolution by setting up Paintgree, the first store dedicated to street art in Oman. Al Rashdi was aware that if urban art was no longer to be perceived as vandalism, artists needed to be equipped. The uninformed population was opposed. Patiently, Al Rashdi quoted the world's metropolises and museums in favor of street art to convince them of the merits of his approach. One day, the Omani Society for Fine Arts commissioned the country's first legal graffiti exhibition. This event marked a decisive turning point in the acceptance of the art form.
A new generation of graffiti artists has since taken up the baton. Muadh Al Busaidi and Muatassim Al Rawahi share their love of calligraphy on the walls of their city.
