Farah Al Qasimi

Farah Al Qasimi, Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire)  2019

Set in the United Arab Emirates and inspired by the film genre of horror-comedy, Um Al Naar (Mother of Fire), playfully engages with colonial legacies and gendered expressions of identity. The work is presented as an episode of a fictional reality TV show starring a jinn (a spirit from Islamic religious culture, originating in pre-Islamic traditions) called Um Al Naar. She offers a critical perspective on colonial legacies and gender divisions in the Persian Gulf, blending popular spiritual beliefs with personal reflections. The artist has said that the jinn embodies ‘hysteria, curiosity, spirituality – a desire to be expressive and untethered.’

Gallery label, September 2024

Farah Al Qasimi, Blanket Shop  2019

S Folding Blanket connects with other works such as Blanket Shop, the print references the material translations bound up with the movement of peoples. Al Qasimi isolates and highlights the beauty of seemingly inconspicuous moments amidst the visual noise of the city. She creates feelings of in-betweenness and disorientation, as geographic references and the boundaries between public and private are intentionally blurred.

Gallery label, September 2024

Farah Al Qasimi, After Dinner  2018

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

Farah Al Qasimi, Bedroom (Baba)  2018

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

Farah Al Qasimi, S Folding Blanket  2016

In Blanket Shop, a shop owner in New York City displays a selection of bright, floral blankets. Blanket Shop is part of a series titled Back and Forth Disco that captures details of local communities and small businesses. Connecting with other works such as S Folding Blanket, the print references the material translations bound up with the movement of peoples. Fabrics, materials and textures obscure the location of the image. Al Qasimi isolates and highlights the beauty of seemingly inconspicuous moments amidst the visual noise of the city. She creates feelings of in-betweenness and disorientation, as geographic references and the boundaries between public and private are intentionally blurred.

Gallery label, September 2024

Farah Al Qasimi, Living Room Vape  2016

The subjects in Living Room Vape are somewhat camouflaged. One sits with their head in a cloud of vapour, another stands by the edge of the frame turned away from the camera. Exactly whose living room we are in is unclear. Al Qasimi’s work seems to resist the confines of any one style or place. Richly detailed Persian textiles adorn the space, alongside porcelain vases and what appears to be a European landscape painting. Here, baroque extravagance meets photo-editorial glamour. But to Al Qasimi, the setting represents years of transcultural exchanges that have been appropriated into Gulf standards of taste.

Gallery label, September 2024

Farah Al Qasimi, Noora’s Room  2020

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.

Farah Al Qasimi, Woman in Leopard Print  2019

This is one of a group of photographs in Tate’s collection by Farah al Qasimi that present interiors and scenes of striking colours, shimmering textures and graphic textiles. They were taken in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, countries between which the artist lives and works, playfully engaging with cultural signifiers, gendered expressions of identity and colonial legacies in the Middle East. Each photograph exists in an edition of five with two artist’s proofs.