Up close and personal with a digital work.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

A new solo exhibition launched by Tashkeel this month (Sept. 10 – Oct. 15) at Tashkeel @ FN Designs, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, features artwork from UAE-based Emirati artist Mouza Al Hamrani. “Homepage” is the illustrator and multimedia designer’s first solo show and the culmination of her Tashkeel Critical Practice Programme journey. Mouza is one of only four UAE-based artists to be accepted for Tashkeel’s Critical Practice Programme. She worked with a mentor to produce her series of artworks showcasing a blend of traditional illustration and cutting-edge digital artistry. “Homepage” boldly reinterprets digital and cultural narratives, blending the past and present in a compelling visual dialogue.

It is an autobiographical journey that traverses the artist’s personal evolution and her life as a digital citizen. She deftly captures some of the features of the internet’s formative years in the Gulf, a time when online anonymity provided certain small freedoms against a conservative backdrop. The spaces, which could be dismissed as insignificant when seen against the infinite ocean of today’s digital world, are turned by Mouza into sites of reflection and cultural commentary, as she translates them into physical artworks.

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Mouza’s artistic exploration is both nostalgic and critical, inviting us to contemplate on how early internet culture influenced social norms and personal identities in the Gulf region. In “Homepage”, she repurposes digital relics – old websites, obsolete software and forgotten forums, among the detritus – creating a bridge between the then and now. The works prompt important questions: What happens when digital ephemera are extracted from their original context and rendered into physical form? How do these memento mori of a bygone digital era speak to current selves and society?  

Mouza’s work is rooted in her GCC upbringing. It explores the intricate and often exhausting reality of contemporary life, delving into themes of cultural inheritance and the general human condition.The artist presents these definitely weighty subjects via the lens of humour and sarcasm; it creates a juxtaposition that both engages the viewer and provokes thought. Her creative process is multifaceted, blending traditional illustrative techniques with digital art forms. She is particularly fascinated by the intersection of art and technology, using coding to push boundaries. The fascination often leads her to intentionally glitch and distort images, reflecting the imperfections and chaos of the world.

  Mouza Al Hamrani is an Emirati artist.

She challenges the viewer to consider how technology, initially a source of wonder and opportunity, can become a source of anxiety and overexposure. Her work navigates this duality, embracing the contradictions inherent in modern digital existence. She offers us a space to confront our own relationship with the digital world – how it has shaped us, liberated us, confined us and continues to leave indelible marks on our identities. Through her work, we are reminded that while the digital realm may be intangible, its impact on our lives is quite real. “Homepage” is thus both a celebration and a critique, a meditation on the digital footprints that partly define us.

“Tashkeel’s Critical Practice Programme gave me the opportunity to explore the complexities of contemporary life and cultural heritage,” says Mouza. “This exhibition reflects the duality of the digital age — celebrating the opportunities the internet has provided, while also expressing the exhaustion and apprehension that come with a prolonged digital presence. I aimed to capture this nuanced experience, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the digital world. It’s a portrait of my own experience of the internet in this region during my formative years, all the way to the current day.”

Lateefa bint Maktoum, Tashkeel Founder, said that “in the age of digital immediacy and constant connectivity, we often overlook the profound impact the internet has on our identities, cultures and relationships. Mouza Al Hamrani’s exhibition “Homepage” brings this dialogue to the forefront, exploring the paradoxical nature of the digital realm – a space that offers both liberation and confinement … Mouza delves into the intersection of culture, technology and human emotion, bringing to life the nuanced realities of early Khaleeji cyberspace.” 

Karam Hoar, Marketing & Communications Manager, Tashkeel, commented: “The Tashkeel Critical Practice Programme nurtures and showcases local talent by offering sustained studio support, critique and production for practising contemporary artists living and working in the UAE. As each artist’s year-long programme is carefully built around the individual’s focus areas, the results are always unique and thought-provoking. “Homepage” is a prime example and is sure to inspire artists and the general public alike. The artwork effectively symbolises the chaos and imperfections of the digital age, and we believe it will inspire dialogue about our regional digital history and its ongoing influence.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by two talks and two artist-led tours on September 29 and October 13, respectively, at the FN Designs Gallery, Alserkal Avenue. The first conversation will be between Mouza and her mentor Salem Al-Qassimi, while the second will be an open Q&A between Mouza and the audience, moderated by Alia Al Shamsi. Mouza’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including “Breaking Khaleeji Cultural Myths” in Kuwait City and “Arab Animation” at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, the 10th edition of Sikka Art and Design Festival, as well as in Community and Critique: Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artist Fellowship Cohort 7 show. She holds a BSc in Multimedia Design from Zayed University, Dubai. She was born in 1995 and works between Sharjah and Ajman.