Sharjah 24: From 1971-Design Space, Flag Island, two events were based within on the theme of the Sharjah Islamic Art Festival 2021 “Gradations”.

Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture; Marwan Al Sarkal, Executive Chairman of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq); and Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of Cultural Affairs at the Department, Director of the Festival, inaugurated the art exhibition “The Path” by Emirati artists Omar Al Gurg at MODU Method Studio, and the Iraqi Layth Mahdi, at 1971-Design Space, in the presence of a number of participating artists, and local, Arab and international media.

Al Owais, Al Sarkal, Al Qusair and participants visited the pieces of art displayed in the exhibition, which focus on the gradation process of what humans go through in the passage of life to explore what is right and wrong. 

The designs are mainly composed of 5 and 7 elements that structurally act as symbolic reminders to the viewer of the passage of life itself. The pieces of the exhibition have been created in a modular, interactive format for viewers to explore their functionality.

MODU Method is an independent house of products founded by Emirati designer Omar Al Gurg, influenced by pieces collected, passed down, and lived with. MODU, short for modular, represents pieces that are multi-functional, faceted, and that grow with time. The MODU Method is an exploration of human behavior and the interaction with objects and spaces. 

Layth Mahdi Al Atar is an Iraqi Architect and Robotic Researcher based in the UAE. Al Atar holds a Master’s degree of Science in Architecture and Digital Technologies from the University of Michigan in the United States. His projects won multiple awards, including the American Institute of Architects Design Award and the best 2018 Young Designer from Harper’s Bazaar Magazine.