MEMORIES OF PLACE

13 OCTOBER 2025 - 30 OCTOBER 2025

Memories of Place: Tracing Time Through Art at Stal Gallery

Stal Gallery and Studio in Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos is set to inaugurate the exhibition

“Memories of Place” on October 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM. The event will be graced by the

presence of Guest of Honour Anwar Sonya. This exhibition features six Omani artists and one

guest artist from Germany whose works explore themes of place, identity, and memory.

Running until October 31, 2025, it offers a significant insight into contemporary expression

within the Oman's evolving cultural landscape.

At the core of the exhibition is a panoramic oil painting by Hassan Al Meer, one of Oman’s

most established contemporary artists. Known for his multi-disciplinary explorations into

memory, and identity, Meer presents an epic five-metre-long canvas that traces the urban

seacoast of Oman’s Corniche as it once stood between the 19-20 century. Meticulously

researched through archival photographs, oral histories, and architectural documentation, the

work reads as both a visual reconstruction and a meditation on urban transformation. Old

crumbling buildings, and once-vital maritime hubs float between luminous skies and a sea

rendered with textured nostalgia.

Copyright: Hassan Meer

Complementing this cartographic memory is the work of Juma Al Harthi, whose practice

returns to one of Oman’s most emblematic architectural features: the intricately carved

wooden door. Here Al Harthi depicts the Omani traditional doors as objects as vessels of

cultural energy, symbols of protection, identity, and time. Using his signature pattern-based

approach, he foregrounds the geometry and ornamentation of traditional carving, drawing

attention to the visual language embedded in these architectural forms.

While architecture and memory form one current of the exhibition, another pulses through

depictions of social tradition and movement. In a large-scale, expressionist painting, Anwar

Sonya captures the raw dynamism of a traditional chicken contest - an event steeped in

rural heritage. The canvas swells with energy: chickens, handlers, onlookers all caught in

kinetic blur. Sonya, often referred to as one of the fathers of modern Omani painting, brings

impressionistic brushwork and symbolic intensity to the composition.

Copyright: Anwar Sonya

In contrast, the works of Adnan Al Raisi focus on a quieter duality. His seascapes - rendered

in soft ochres, warm ambers, and deep blues - explore the equilibrium between day and

night, between dawn and dusk, between stillness and passage. The coastline becomes not

only a site of physical beauty but also a metaphor for temporal transition.

That same sense of equilibrium takes on a linguistic form in the calligraphic abstractions of

Mohammed Mehdi Al Lawati. Known for blending classical Arabic script with gestural

abstraction, Al Lawati’s work inhabits a liminal space between language and mark-making. In

this exhibition, his paintings present letterforms that swirl, stretch, fragment, and blur into

textured planes of colour. There is no insistence on legibility; instead, the viewer is invited to

read rhythm, form, and visual pulse.

Adding a conceptual counterpoint to the exhibition is the work of Janin Walter (Germany) , a

guest artist whose ongoing series Be(Have) draws from neuroscience and behavioral

psychology. Janin Walter’s work bridges art and science, using interdisciplinary methods to

investigate the relationship between urban space, architecture, and the human body. In

Memories of Place, her practice reflects a deep engagement with how migrant and tourist

spaces reshape cultural and spatial perception. Drawing from fields like neuroscience and

trauma therapy, Walter positions the body as both subject and tool of research - an active

participant in revealing the social and emotional imprints of place. Her artworks invite viewers

into a shared, reflective experience, shaped by participatory methods and rooted in collective

memory.

Saleem Sakhi’s practice is driven by a deeper emotional and symbolic connection to Oman’s

natural world. One of the most significant influences on his recent work is the resettlement

project of the Arabian Oryx, a conservation effort that inspired a series of paintings and

sculptures. In these works, the Oryx is not only preserved but reimagined - moved from its

barren habitat into a vibrant, expressive world full of energy and hope. The artist’s response

to the project reflects a personal sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to the

narrative of preservation through artistic means.

Stal Gallery and Studio, a cornerstone of Muscat’s contemporary art scene, presents this

exhibition as both a platform for artistic excellence and a cultural statement. “Some works

were created in 2025, others reach back a decade - marking ten years of inquiry into memory,

identity, and belonging,” says V. Sobolevska, an art researcher exploring themes of memory

and identity in Omani contemporary art. “What distinguishes Memories of Place is its depth.

Each artist develops a visual vocabulary through sustained research. Whether in Hassan

Meer’s coastal iconography, Juma Al Harthi’s architectural homage, or Janin Walter’s psycho-

conceptual inquiry, the works resist surface. They ask viewers to look longer, listen deeper, and

consider what lies beneath form.”

Copyright: Juma Al Harthi

Public engagement for “Memories of Place” includes dedicated outreach to educational and

tourism sectors. Stal Gallery and Studio will extend formal invitations for schools, universities,

and colleges for art tours, offering a guided experience through the exhibition’s themes and

artworks. Touristic groups with an interest in cultural heritage will also be welcomed,

positioning the exhibition as a site of educational and cross-cultural dialogue within Muscat’s

vibrant art scene. As cultural tourism continues to grow in the region, such initiatives highlight

the role of contemporary art in fostering meaningful cultural exchange.

The exhibition runs from October 13 through 31, 2025, with free public access daily (except

Fridays). Accompanying programming includes artist talks and guided walkthroughs.

© Stal Gallery and Studio

Supported by: Alserkal Group

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