29th Annual Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah, UAE
Harry Hukkinen Exhibits at the 29th Annual Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah, UAE
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates — January 12, 2011 — Artist Harry Matti Hukkinen traveled from Philadelphia to the United Arab Emirates this month to take part in the 29th Annual Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, in cooperation with the Sharjah Art Museum.
Hukkinen, then an MFA candidate at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, was one of a small group of the university’s graduate students invited to submit work for the international juried show, under the mentorship of program director Joe Girandola and with guidance from the influential Emirati conceptual artist Hassan Sharif. The selected artists — a group that included Americans alongside a Ghanaian and a Korean artist — traveled to Sharjah to install their work at the museum ahead of the opening.
The exhibition opened to the public on Wednesday, January 12, 2011, at 7:00 pm in the East Wing of the Sharjah Art Museum. H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, attended the opening reception and personally greeted each participating artist, asking Hukkinen about his work along with the rest of the group.
Hukkinen’s contribution to the show came from his ongoing Styrofoam Series, a body of photographic work exploring themes of consumerism and sustainability. His eleven-day stay in the UAE also included a visit to the Flying House, the Dubai institution for contemporary Emirati art co-founded by Hassan Sharif, where Sharif extended his mentorship to the visiting students, as well as tours of Dubai and Abu Dhabi galleries and the Barjeel Art Foundation.
Reflecting on the trip afterward, Hukkinen described it as a rare opportunity to experience Emirati hospitality and cross-cultural exchange firsthand, writing that “contemporary art is a universal language transcending ethnic barriers.” He credited the visit with deepening his view of art as a means of communication that transcends cultural and political boundaries — a theme that continues to inform his work today.
About Harry Hukkinen
Harry Matti Hukkinen is a multimedia artist working across sculpture, painting, photography, and performance. A dual U.S.–Finnish citizen originally from Lahti, Finland, he holds an MFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His work has been shown in numerous national and international juried exhibitions.
Sources:
Harry Hukkinen, “Art and Hospitality” and “Opening Reception,” Still Melting… (blog documenting the UArts group’s trip), January 2011
“International Exhibit to Honor UAE Artist,” harrymattihukkinen.com News
“Art is entree into Arab world in turmoil,” WHYY
Wikipedia, Emirates Fine Arts Society / Sharjah Art Museum
