Faces tell stories, these stories could be of grit and grief, love and loss, strength and solitude, and more. Often, a smile on a face narrates more than words could. And that’s what makes The Faces: A Season of Portraiture, a virtual art exhibition, a must-attend. Opening this Saturday, it features the artworks of 50 artists from all over the world, and will be on for another month at the platform, artsteps.com.
“The main goal of this project is to create a communal space for people to exhibit their art. As for now, it is almost impossible to do so in traditional gallery spaces. The project also reflects the way societies must reinvent themselves and come up with new, more communal ways to express and exhibit,” said Jesno Jackson, Art4you Gallery.
The curation for the same began three months ago, and whilst you’ll see portraits of leaders, singers, and more; what will catch your eye is the different mediums used to create the same. Think: nails and strings, pieces of wood, bottle caps, and even sunflower seeds! As for the genre of styles, there’s pop art, impressionism, abstract art, etc. The virtual space will be divided into four different areas, allowing you to walk through, stop and admire the portraits. “We aspire to celebrating the diversity of portraiture, which is a fascinating genre,” added Jackson.
“We’ll leave you with a glimpse of what awaits. We’re in love with quite a few, especially the digital art portraiture of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, by Charlie Villagracia and the paper cut work by Gtnart of the late founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Our other favourites include nail and string expression of Bob Marley by Hafsa Banu, Prithviraj’s sculpture made with pieces of wood by Davinci Suresh, and a portrait created by the late artist Mary Ellen Croteau, with bottle caps. Do drop by, virtually, and let us know which one is your favourite, and what story did the portraits narrate to you.”