Artists: Janine & Julia Ibbini
Exhibition Title: Generation Layers
Exhibition Date: 16-2-2009
Exhibition Title: Generation Layers
Exhibition Date: 16-2-2009
A unique exhibition showcasing the work of two artists spanning two generations of the same family.
In their first dedicated exhibition as mother and daughter, ‘Generation Layers’ is an exploration by Janine and Julia Ibbini on the vibrant social and physical landscapes of the UAE and Middle East region.
Janine Ibbini has been working with different art forms for most of her life but in 1990 she began to combine her love of fabric and thread with her passion for exploring self-expression through art.
Julia Ibbini (Janine’s daughter), a Leeds College of Art graduate, also spent several years exploring different mediums before she settled on the application and combination of mixing traditional mediums with computer software and now builds her work around a technique she terms “Freeform Digital Art”.
“What’s interesting about our work is that, when shown side by side, the fact that although we work independently from each others ideas and in quite different mediums, there are common threads that seem to appear and continue through all the pieces,” says Janine. “We both express ourselves and our subject matters through layer upon layer of intricate details to produce the final works and although we work fairly independently, we have a very close relationship and so I suppose it is not too surprising at how much the end results complement each other,” added Julia.
“I find an endless source of subject matter in the UAE alone – be it walking on an island off the coast or simply on the streets of the cities across the country. My work is like a diary of my experiences (internal or external). Each piece tells a story through the layers upon layers of elements that I build into them. I tend to focus on the minute details, photographing or painting over a period of weeks and then build these pieces up in a collage-like fashion to create a final piece that echoes my thoughts and feelings,” says Julia. “I’ve spent the majority of my life here in the UAE and much my work draws on the vibrancy and pace of change that I’ve witnessed here over the past 25 years,” she adds.
“Pattern and colours in both the natural and man-made world provide inspiration sources for me,” says Janine. What’s key in working with textiles is the patience required to spend many hours working with the fabric to produce an end result that conveys a message - but that’s part of the reason I love textile art; it’s about the process as much as the final piece.
“Working and sharing art experiences with Julia has brought a great deal of joy to my life and has helped both of us develop further as artists. Being an artist is so much more fulfilling when you are able to find like-minded people to share your passion with – so working as mother and daughter is an endless source of inspiration,” adds Janine.
About Janine IbbiniJanine Ibbini has lived in the Middle East for 30 years, 28 of those in the UAE, and her work is influenced by the people, the culture and the landscapes she experiences here. Janine’s pieces involve numerous layers of fabrics and stitching, with a piece taking hours, days and sometimes weeks to complete.
Janine enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge with others. An active member of the textile arts community, Janine has exhibited across the Middle East, in the UK and in Switzerland winning numerous awards. She has also curated a number of exhibitions focusing on textile art.
About Julia IbbiniJulia Ibbini is a freeform digital artist. ‘Freeform’ because she incorporates numerous mediums such as ink, charcoal, clay and paint with digital photography and then layers imagery over and over again using computer software until the final piece is created. She is very much a fan of colour, light and movement; if art’s intention is to elicit a response – Julia achieves that through vividness in her work.
A long-time resident of the UAE, Julia was schooled in Abu Dhabi before being accepted into Leeds College of Art & Design, Leeds University (UK), in 1998. Julia’s work can be found across numerous homes, corporate offices and hotels in the region.
In their first dedicated exhibition as mother and daughter, ‘Generation Layers’ is an exploration by Janine and Julia Ibbini on the vibrant social and physical landscapes of the UAE and Middle East region.
Janine Ibbini has been working with different art forms for most of her life but in 1990 she began to combine her love of fabric and thread with her passion for exploring self-expression through art.
Julia Ibbini (Janine’s daughter), a Leeds College of Art graduate, also spent several years exploring different mediums before she settled on the application and combination of mixing traditional mediums with computer software and now builds her work around a technique she terms “Freeform Digital Art”.
“What’s interesting about our work is that, when shown side by side, the fact that although we work independently from each others ideas and in quite different mediums, there are common threads that seem to appear and continue through all the pieces,” says Janine. “We both express ourselves and our subject matters through layer upon layer of intricate details to produce the final works and although we work fairly independently, we have a very close relationship and so I suppose it is not too surprising at how much the end results complement each other,” added Julia.
“I find an endless source of subject matter in the UAE alone – be it walking on an island off the coast or simply on the streets of the cities across the country. My work is like a diary of my experiences (internal or external). Each piece tells a story through the layers upon layers of elements that I build into them. I tend to focus on the minute details, photographing or painting over a period of weeks and then build these pieces up in a collage-like fashion to create a final piece that echoes my thoughts and feelings,” says Julia. “I’ve spent the majority of my life here in the UAE and much my work draws on the vibrancy and pace of change that I’ve witnessed here over the past 25 years,” she adds.
“Pattern and colours in both the natural and man-made world provide inspiration sources for me,” says Janine. What’s key in working with textiles is the patience required to spend many hours working with the fabric to produce an end result that conveys a message - but that’s part of the reason I love textile art; it’s about the process as much as the final piece.
“Working and sharing art experiences with Julia has brought a great deal of joy to my life and has helped both of us develop further as artists. Being an artist is so much more fulfilling when you are able to find like-minded people to share your passion with – so working as mother and daughter is an endless source of inspiration,” adds Janine.
About Janine IbbiniJanine Ibbini has lived in the Middle East for 30 years, 28 of those in the UAE, and her work is influenced by the people, the culture and the landscapes she experiences here. Janine’s pieces involve numerous layers of fabrics and stitching, with a piece taking hours, days and sometimes weeks to complete.
Janine enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge with others. An active member of the textile arts community, Janine has exhibited across the Middle East, in the UK and in Switzerland winning numerous awards. She has also curated a number of exhibitions focusing on textile art.
About Julia IbbiniJulia Ibbini is a freeform digital artist. ‘Freeform’ because she incorporates numerous mediums such as ink, charcoal, clay and paint with digital photography and then layers imagery over and over again using computer software until the final piece is created. She is very much a fan of colour, light and movement; if art’s intention is to elicit a response – Julia achieves that through vividness in her work.
A long-time resident of the UAE, Julia was schooled in Abu Dhabi before being accepted into Leeds College of Art & Design, Leeds University (UK), in 1998. Julia’s work can be found across numerous homes, corporate offices and hotels in the region.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Ghaf Art Gallery
Tel: +9712-6655332
Fax: +9712-6655292
P.O.Box: 42366
Abu Dhabi, UAE
ghafgallery@gmail.com
www.ghafgallery.com