Hussain Sharif (Emirati, b. 1961)

Hussain Sharif is a pioneer Emirati artist in the UAE and is considered as one of the most experimental of his generation for his multidisciplinary practice, with backgrounds in Theatre Design from the High Studies of Institute of Kuwait and his past position as Head Designer at Sharjah TV. Along with his well-respected brother and artist, Hassan Sharif, Hussain was part of the ‘Five’ group in the mid-1980s which is considered one of the first contemporary artist collectives in the country. Hussain is noted for his rich experimentation in medium and concept, playing with installation, collage, abstract and figurative works. The present work is from his abstract series that began in 1986 as a way to experiment with colour while playing with different materials in oil, collage and recycled objects. The artist has had numerous exhibitions in the UAE, Russia, Holland, France, Egypt and Germany, among others.