A new permanent international photography gallery has opened in Sharjah, launching on the last day of the 2021 Xposure International Photography Festival.
Called Gallery X, the new venue is located at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre and houses a collection of works by world-renowned photographers who have participated in the Xposure International Photography Awards.
The gallery was officially inaugurated on Saturday the concluding day of the festival's fifth iteration.
The works in the gallery feature a broad range of styles and subjects, from portraits and still life to architectural and editorial photography. Some bring us closer to wildlife and highlight environmental concerns, while others tackle social and political issues.
A new exhibition will take place every month. All images on display will have been taken by photographers who have received prizes or been nominated in past iterations of the Xposure awards.
Gallery X will also hold long-term exhibitions, academic programmes and workshops aimed to attract international creatives, emerging talents, residents and local youth. The gallery is meant to be a place where all those who are interested in photography can come together, learn and share their insights on the art form.
The Xposure 2021 International Photography Festival, held at the Expo Centre Sharjah, began on Wednesday and exhibited 1,558 photographs from around the world by more than 400 acclaimed photographers.
Among this year's participants was Tariq Keblaoui, whose images were instrumental in showing the world what was happening in Beirut during the 2019 October revolution.
See more from this year's festival in the photo gallery below:
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Photographs by various photographers around the world were on display at the Xposure International Photography Festival at Sharjah Expo Centre in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National -
It is the fifth iteration of the festival. Pawan Singh / The National -
More than 1,500 images were on display. Pawan Singh / The National -
Works by more than 50 photographers were shown. Pawan Singh / The National -
The conclusion of the festival coincided with the launch of Gallery X, a new permanent international photography gallery in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National -
The new gallery will display works by past participants of the Xposure International Photography Awards. Pawan Singh / The National -
Gallery X is located at Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Pawan Singh / The National -
Photography fans can now see monthly exhibitions of works by past participants of the awards. Pawan Singh / The National -
The festival and gallery serve to open up conversations about the art of photography. Pawan Singh / The National -
Ashok Verma, a senior photographer at Emarat Al Youm, with his image highlighting the first sanitation drive of Covid-19 at Sharjah during the lockdown in 2020, which is on display at the Xposure International Photography Festival at Sharjah Expo Centre in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National -
Xposure International Photography Festival started on Wednesday, February 10 at Sharjah Expo Centre in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National -
The festival concluded on Saturday, February 13. Pawan Singh / The National -
Covid-19 safety precautions were in place during the festival. Pawan Singh / The National -
Images highlighting everyday life and issues from across the world were on display. Pawan Singh / The National -
Everything from portraits to landscapes and still life were on display. Pawan Singh / The National -
Attendees all had to wear masks to the festival. Pawan Singh / The National -
Attendees were able to admire the works of more than 50 photographers from across the world. Pawan Singh / The National -
Xposure International Photography Festival has been going for five years. Pawan Singh / The National -
The event took place at Sharjah Expo Centre. Pawan Singh / The National -
Winners were announced at a closing ceremony on Saturday, February 13. Pawan Singh / The National
Also exhibited were works by Seagram Pearce, whose series The Tobacconist features portraits of a shopkeeper in Cape Town, South Africa.
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Jordanian photographer Muhammed Muheisen also presented portraits of Zahra Mahmoud, a young Syrian refugee he met in Jordan in 2015.
Travel photographer Brian Hodges presented a snapshot of a school in Gulu, Uganda, a work which forms part Hodges’ efforts to raise awareness of the African Women Rising organisation, which provides education and micro-funding to girls and women in Uganda.
Participating photographers living in the UAE included Abdulla Albuqaish, who focuses on cityscapes; advertising and fashion photographer Ashok Verma; and landscape photographer Mohammad Kamal.
