A major new exhibition of work by Patrick Altes, an award-winning Algerian-born visual artist of French and Spanish descent who lives in the UK, is currently under way at the Gerald Moore Gallery, London, titled ‘Tolerance’. Curated by Middle Eastern Art specialist Janet Rady and supported by both the United Nations Association and the Arts...

Now in his eighties, the Iranian artist Seyed Asadollah Shariatpanahi brings decades of tumultuous times to his work, from the beginning of modernity in his homeland in the 1960s, through the revolution and Iran-Iraq war years, to the dawn of a rewarding, new millennium. Here, he talks to ArtScoops about the principles he adopts in his work and...

Edward Chdid discusses his art collection with Miriam Dunn and dispels a few myths about collectors along the way   Various artworks from Georges Sabbagh   Aged just 24, Edward Chdid is not your typical art collector, if we allow stereotypes and preconceptions to prevail. Yet his passion, knowledge and keen eye are indisputable,...

  You often cite other artists with Iraqi roots who have moved abroad as an influence or at least among those with whom you empathise. What is the affinity you feel with these compatriots and their work? Since the very beginning, when we moved to Iraq, the work of Iraqi artists fascinated and intrigued me.  It was my husband, the...

The multi-media artist Maysaloun Faraj tells ArtScoops about how the challenges she faces as an artist, a woman, a muslim and an Iraqi living outside the motherland have affected her life experience and shaped her output as a painter, sculptor and ceramist   You work with paint, clay, wood and bronze and also have an architectural...

In an intriguing new series of works, Shahida Ahmed, a British-born artist based in the Middle East and UK, explores society’s failings and responsibilities to great effect.     All artists hope to generate a reaction from their work, whether it’s starting a dialogue, adding to a conversation or encouraging their audience to pause...

With its 900-piece candelabra, which features an array of exquisite glass lamps, the Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque is inevitably a subject of great fascination for the Turkish glass artist Felekşan Onar. Here she tells Ahmad Minkara about her new documentary on the mosque’s history and features, titled ‘Esma’, which will be screened at the third...

Collage artist and educator, Haibat Balaa, tells ArtScoops about her passion for her media of choice and the work she has prepared for the 8th Beijing International Biennale Exhibition, China, 2019     Collage remains an unusual medium for an artist to work in today. What is it about collage that makes you feel it can best express...

Drawing on her childhood in Abu Dhabi and time spent between Beirut and New York, Tala Worrell’s paintings provide thought-provoking, observational snapshots of a diverse mix of places and people     Like several other artists with Middle Eastern roots, you spent much of your childhood abroad. How has this influenced your...