Shammi Samano, 42, and Asma Al Kendi, 24, are co-founders of Gulfography, an online gallery for artists based in the Gulf region of the Middle East. Having launched in May 2012, the co-founders are determined to provide an online portal for artists who help battle misconceptions of the region. Gulfography is documenting the bold voices from the exciting art scene in the Middle East. We got a chance to speak to the co-founders.
Elan: Can you tell us a little about your professional backgrounds?
Shammi Samano: I’m a former college media professor, and discovered film-making during the Gulf War. My work demonstrates that while images speak a thousand words, 24 frames of them per second speak even more. While teaching media production in Dubai, I was welcomed into a world of local culture by my Emirati students. In this hyper-globalized world where communication is easy but connection difficult, information is a keystroke away but the Truth is out of reach, therefore, I co-founded Gulfography as way to speak to the immigrant in all of us that floats virtually off the ground—rootless, reaching for a new language that connects us to each other and a home where we finally belong.
Asma Al Kendi: I was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates, but after moving to the United States for work, I quickly realized Americans have little understanding of the world I came from. The first question I was asked by the passport control officer at the San Francisco Airport was, “Where is Your Burqa?” I identified a great need to explain that the Gulf region of the Middle East is more than Burqas, deserts, camels, and violence, and that women in the Gulf are just as strong, independent, and full of ambitions as women in the West. I co-founded Gulfography to make this point. I hope to build an artistic and technological bridge that connects us all through powerful, creative images that speak the language of the new generation.
Elan: You’ve launched Gulfography, tell us about it. What inspired the idea?
SS and AK: Gulfography is an online gallery dedicated to showcasing photography from the Gulf region of the Middle East. Our mission is to present a new vision of the Gulf that expresses its unparalleled beauty, tradition, and boldness. We want to be a virtual home for both emerging and established artists and share their unique vision with those interested in seeing and buying their photography. We sell a lot of limited edition prints that people can buy not only as powerful artwork but as investment in the Middle East art market, which is exploding right now with lots attention and success.
Elan: What are your plans on expanding this project outside of the online space?
SS and AK: We plan to have our first exhibition of work on the Gulfography.com site in three to six months. This will include signed photography as well as new photos that will premier at the exhibition and then be listed on the site the next day. We are considering San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York. We are based in California so it is easier for us to organize from here. After this, we will hold two to three exhibitions a year in the U.S and key European and Middle East cities. In a year or two, we’d like to publish a book of photography that has been showcased on the site, and perhaps later a small gallery focused on photography from/about the Gulf, that will consist of a lot of work from our site.
Elan: What has been your greatest challenge?
AK: Our greatest challenge has been letting people know that we’re here and exist. Because we’re a new website and company, many people—both photographers and art buyers—don’t know about us yet. Those that do know about us have given us great feedback but we’re still trying to establish our place in the market. We especially want photographers from the region to know that we’re interested in showcasing their work and to submit to us. We’re ultimately as good as the work of our photographers. Submitting to us is very easy and can be done by sending us sample images to submissions@gulfography.com.
You both follow the art market in the Middle East closely, what’s one thing that you’d like for people to know about it?
SS: The thing we want people to know is that the art market in the Middle East is one of the most exciting new markets around, and there is so much interest in it by the art world. It’s young but it’s being compared to the success of the Indian and Chinese art markets in recent years. What that means for art buyers is that it’s the best time to buy because we believe that the work of many emerging artist (that we carry on our site for example) will be worth a lot in the years to come. For photographers from the region, this new explosion of interest is strong message to produce and showcase their art now more than ever. Gulfography.com aims to be a major vehicle in showcasing this art that we love and making it available to interested art buyers.
*Artwork by Alia Falasi
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