Abdul Qader Al Raes

Abdul Qader Al Rais (Arabic: عبد القادر الريس) is an Emirati painter noted for his abstract art which combines geometric shapes with Arabic calligraphy. He is known for including calligraphy and abstracted objects in his paintings, and regarded as a colour master.

Al Rais, who was inspired by the Dutch Masters and Impressionists in his earlier work, created a distinctive style that is influenced by the different elements of nature and culture in the region. These elements frequently feature in his works.

Early life Al Rais was born in 1951 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He became interested in painting, at the age of 14, following his father's death, when his mother sent him to Kuwait to live with his sister. He considered himself lucky because Kuwait was having a cultural renaissance at the time and he connected with other artists frequently at Al Marsam Al Hurr, the free studio, where they had access to books on art. Among such books were works on Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, and other Renaissance luminaries that Al Rais regards as his first teachers. Additionally, the Kuwaiti government at the time supported art, so he had free access to all the supplies he needed. He showed an early talent, which he attributed as a "gift from God."

He remained with his sister in Kuwait until he was 18 yrs old by which time he had completed his basic education at the grammar school. Undoubtedly, Abdul Qader's early experiences in Kuwait, including the teachings impacted his development both artistically and intellectually.

Al Rais' unique style, that had yet to emerge, stems from his love for Impressionism which he learnt from Monet, Degas and Pissarro. It was only after that, he concentrated on painting political themes such as the Gulf War and the First Palestinian Intifada. Abdul Qader Al Rais became a household name in the GCC world of fine arts after he received the Palm Leaf award at the GCC exhibition. He also received the Sheikha Latifa Prize for Art and Literature. and is considered to be one of the pioneers of contemporary art in the Emirates, noted for his mainly abstract artwork which has been widely exhibited

Works Al Rais is most noted for abstract works that incorporate geometric forms and Arabic script.

He continued for the next several years to concentrate on local sceneries that became his trademark. Then, at the crucial juncture of his career, when he was moving beyond the traditional subjects in watercolour so indelibly associated with his name, Abdul Qader stepped outside himself and began to address issues of artistic authorship and individual style with acuity and critical distance.

Motifs of geometric ops producing multiple illusions of depth were initially added on to the subject. With this series, Abdul Qader succeeded in making the geometric forms surrounding the subject matter equally important as the subject matter itself. Moving further, changes in paint handling and stylistic staccato make for extreme variations among his realistic paintings resulting into calligraphic abstract juxtaposed with geometric ops and realistic images in vibrant new canvasses.

The merging of style is his language of pure individual self-expression – and that style is not inextricably bound to a single, authorial hand, but rather separate, mobile, detachable, and potentially re-inhabitable – Abdul Qader Al Rais’ signature style.

Al Rais' artwork was featured in the 2015 Venice Biennale and is held by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, and the British Museum. which represented contemporary Emirati art and culture.

Solo exhibitions

1974 – 1st Solo Exhibition – Dubai 1987 – Dubai, Sharjah 1988 – Dubai 1989 – Abu Dhabi 1990 – Dubai 1991 – Abu Dhabi, Dubai 1992 – Prague, Liberec, Czechoslovakia, Beirut 1993 – Washington DC 1994 – Al Ain, Dubai 1996 – Abu Dhabi, Germany, Dubai 1997 – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah Biennial 2001 – Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Dubai, Al Ain 2002 – Qatar 2003 – Dubai; 2004-Dubai 2005 – Dubai, Oman 2007 – Dubai, Abu Dhabi 2008 – Dubai, Riyadh

Selected awards 1975 – First Prize, 1st Youth Exhibition-Dubai 1983 – Appreciation Certificate, Arab Painter's Exhibition-Kuwait 1988 – First Prize, 3rd Spring Exhibition-Abu Dhabi 1989 – Second Prize, 4th Spring Exhibition-Abu Dhabi 1990 – First Prize, 6th Emirates Exhibition-Abu Dhabi 1991 – First Prize, 1st Emirates Exhibition-Al Ain 1990, 1992, 1993 – Golden Dana Award-Kuwait 1993 – Juries Award, Sharjah Biennial-UAE 1992, 1994 & 1996 – First Prize Sultan Al Owais Award for Scientific Studies and Creativity-UAE 1995 – Juries Award Latakia Biennial-Syria 1997 – Honoured in Sharjah Biennial-UAE 1999 – First Prize Exhibition of “Emirates in the Eyes of its People” 1999 – Golden Soafah (palm Leaf), GCC Exhibition 2006 – Emirates Appreciation Award 2016 – First Prize Exhibition of “Emirates in the Eyes of its People”

Selected bibliography The Human...The Home - Abdul Qader Al Rais, Catalogue Raisonne ©2005 Al Owais Cultural Foundation, Dubai The Colours of My Life – Abdul Qader Al Rais, Dubai Cultural Council, , February 2008 Abdul Qader Al Rais, Catalogue Raisonne ©2008, Hewar Art Gallery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia