ARTAFRICAShaikha Al Mazrou:
Ironic experiments
by Dr. Zoltán Somhegyi
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGSBYT
no. 91
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGSBRIGHT YOUNG THINGS / DR. ZOLTÁN SOMHEGYI ON SHAIKHA AL MAZROU 1/4
Ironic experiments. Or, one could say: irony in the experiment. The Emirati sculptress
Shaikha Al Mazrou’s artworks continuously oscillate between serious irony and light-
hearted experiments, a reading that might create an initial disorientation in the work’s
interpretation. How does one have an ironical and experimental approach at the same
time? It is well known that irony is not simply about ‘being funny.’ It is more like
a constructive-critical attitude that, even when applied as a working method, does
not exclude the carefree experimental spirit, which is another basic characteristic of
aesthetically efficient artworks.Still, it might seem strange to talk about irony in the case of a sculptress creating abstract
works, since the ironic and critical approach is often considered a feature of, for example,
figurative and socio-critical works of art, while non-figurative art pieces – both paintings
and sculptures – are recurrently referred to as ‘playful.’ Nevertheless, Shaikha Al
Mazrou’s works are more appropriately defined in the aforementioned way, as inspiring
explorations of form and volume, surface and void, material and tension. Aside from this,
she constantly refers to key figures in art history, focusing specifically on the protagonists
of the classical avant-garde. This interest is already evident in her early works, including a
2010 series created around the time of her graduation from the College of Fine Arts and
Design at the University of Sharjah. Here, elements of computers – including cases and
circuit boards – serve as the basis and medium for her installations and sometimes her
ready-made-like sculptural pieces. In the work titled 189 , colourful, printed circuit boards
make up the composition. In the case of Blue Stack eight empty computer cases are neatly