"Exposure 2026" It tells the story of Emirati creativity, from astronomical photography to microscopy
Sharjah, 2 January / WAM / The International Photography Festival “Xposure 2026” puts Emirati photographers in a lively dialogue with an elite group of leading international photographers, as it hosts, in its 10th session, which will be held in Aljada in Sharjah, from January 29 this year until next February 4, the astronomical photographer Yousef Al Qasimi, the microscopic photographer Rashid Al Sumaiti, and the Emirati photographer Ghada Al Qasimi.
Organized by the Sharjah Government Media Office under the slogan “A Decade of Visual Storytelling,” the festival presents the experiences of Emirati photographers in three separate exhibitions, each of which deals with astronomy, weather phenomena, natural sciences, microscopic photography, as well as feelings, emotion, memory, and silence. The creative abilities of these photographers and their commitment to exploring natural and social phenomena have contributed to expanding the horizons of the art of photography in the Emirates.
The participation of Emirati photographers is distributed across various spaces in this year’s festival, to be titles that bring together exhibitions and works of participating photographers, artists, and creators.
Within the framework of “Nature and Wildlife Photography”, “Exposure 2026” organizes an exhibition by photographer Yousef Al Qasimi under the title “The Sky from Our World to Its Depths” to give the visitor the opportunity to learn about the work of one of the leading Emirati photographers and a member of the “Emirates Astronomical Society” who devoted years to documenting nebulae, galaxies and meteors and chased storms in search of thunderclouds and lightning storms.
As for the works of Emirati photographer Rashid Al-Sumaiti, they fall within the “Artistic and Creative Photography” category and are under the title “Dancing Crystals.” They include microscopic works that reveal the structures of natural materials that cannot be seen with the naked eye through advanced and precise photography techniques, as he transforms everyday materials such as salt and vitamin C crystals into a visual language and abstract forms that confirm the intersection of the boundaries of science and art.
“Exposure 2026” will host the works of Emirati photographer Ghada Al Qasimi in the “Silence” exhibition. The exhibition falls within the category of “Artistic and Creative Photography” and embodies her experience in transforming the image into a space to explore feelings and the emotional side by focusing on memory and silence and exploring the relationship between presence and absence. Through attention to detail, Ghada Al Qasimi allows the meaning to gradually unfold, as her works avoid imposing a single interpretation, leaving room for personal interpretation.
By providing a platform for Emirati photographers and giving them the opportunity to have a live dialogue with a group of the most famous international photographers, “Exposure 2026” contributes to enabling local photographers to showcase the Emirati cultural, artistic and heritage movement in various specializations and introduce the world to creative works based on science, a love of exploration and a sense of place.
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