'Redan' exhibition at National Art Gallery showcases creativity of MNU students and hope for Maldivian visual arts

The 'Redan' exhibition, held last month at the National Art Gallery, showcased a large number of creative works by young Maldivian artists. The exhibition, held from 26 to 31 October by the National University (MNU) together with the National Centre for the Arts (NCA), displayed the works of 36 students of MNU's Visual Arts Faculty's 'Advanced Certificate in Visual Arts' and 'Diploma in Visual Arts' programmes, as well as former students. This is the second time the 'Redan' exhibition has been held. The theme of this year's exhibition, marking 10 years since the Visual Arts Faculty was established, is 'The Art of Becoming: Time, Nostalgia and Rebirth'. Under that theme, the white walls of the National Art Gallery were filled with works in various media, including traditional art, installation, sculpture, digital art, animation, mixed media and photographic montage. Among the creations first seen upon entering the exhibition was a group work titled 'Odyssey to the Past' by Aminath Sara, Aishath Sara Ahmed, Aminath Aavina Amjad, Fathimath Ali Rasheed, Mariyam Ala Abdul-Latheef and Yaana Mohamed Neeraj. Drawings, sculpture and miniature creations were shown through each part of a box, with different scenes in each, from beach trips and memories of playing with friends or family to time spent with family. Each part of the box was filled with a young person's happy or sad memories. Aminath Shubaa Susan presented an installation and drawings. Her 'Folded in Time' was an installation that, through a paper model of a boat, symbolised memories of the past and a new beginning, prepared on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Visual Arts Faculty. Her series of drawings titled '21' showed her childhood experiences, with acrylic paint applied to canvas mainly using blue and orange. "This series shows a return to one's own self and discovering the reasons that shaped a person's personality. And with that discovery, a journey to determine who one is in the future," she said in the written text presented with her drawing. Havva Shamaa had recited her series of three drawings with a poem, written in Dhivehi and English below her drawings. Aishath Aleesha Anil's '6 Helpers' displayed a scene of the seabed painted on six canvases of her family's six children. Aleesha had also prepared a drawing titled 'Wild Imagination' using acrylic and Mina, conveying that it is small children who always hold the most distinct and creative ideas, and that as we grow up, this creativity is sometimes lost from us. "I draw to hold on to memories of a past that is being erased," the artist and former MNU student Aminath Aala Ali had said below her drawing. Her special childhood memories were shown through the things she played with as a child, the things she ate and the smell of coloured flowers. Aala explained that memories of the past are not as clear as a photograph, but a feeling formed by different things coming together. Artist Mariyam Munya Mohamed Musthafa showed her memories of the past in a different way. The drawing titled 'Furaalumathi', drawn using acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, shows scenes of the rooftop of the house where she lived as a child. Munya used few colours in this drawing, giving importance to its structures and composition, leaving the meaning conveyed to the viewer to think about. In addition, Munya's 'Folklore Burial' drawing depicted characters told in ancestors' folk stories in a modern and different way, with a clay model also prepared to build her drawing and a modern 'indie' and horror game graphics atmosphere used. The exhibition's theme was also brought through photography and digital art, and MNU students also displayed sculptures. The period for which the 'Redan' exhibition was open for the public to view was considered too short. The various creations of some of the Maldives' young artists show not only their creative skill, but how they think and feel, and the thoughts they hold, are also seen through such a special exhibition. By holding it at the National Art Gallery, these works are seen not only by Maldivians but also by tourists and people from foreign countries, giving an opportunity to further spread the skill of Maldivians. The hope is to hold the 'Redan' exhibition for a longer period next year.