Equestrian-Themed Art A Hit At Dubai International Horse Fair

Artists with a passion for horses have gathered at Dubai International Horse Fair (DIHF) to introduce their horse-themed pieces to the regional equestrian community and those who have a keen interest in art. The event, which draws to a close tomorrow (Saturday, March 17) has a total of 10 artists exhibiting their works of various media including bronze, acrylics, copper, fibreglass, leather, cloth and more.

“Horses have played a central role in so many civilisations’ history and it [equestrian art] has, over the years, become a fascination for me as an artist,” said Paris-based artist Raghad who is exhibiting at the show. Born in Iraq, Raghad studied at the Institute of Fine Art in Baghdad and furthered her tertiary education in France at Paris-Sorbonne University, which included the morphology and anatomy of horses. As a sculptor, she discovered her love for equestrian art using iron, copper, fibreglass, resin, wood and bronze. At DIHF, Raghad has a variety of pieces available for sale and will produce commissioned pieces on request.

At the Bangkok-based Art to Art Gallery stand, paintings and sculptures of Thai artists, Niran Charoenpong and Chaturong Kittinithiphaisan, are receiving much interest from discerning art collectors at the show. The striking equestrian paintings by Charoenpong, who is also an art professor at the Suan Rajabhat University in Bangkok, are of acrylics on canvas using a knife palette. The artist specialises in horse-themed works, Thai temples, flowers and trees. Kittinithiphaisan specialises in solid bronze animal sculptures and is able to sculpt any creature, says said Art to Art spokesperson, Jean Michel Michel. “This is our first visit exhibition in Dubai because we thought the Horse Fair was a good opportunity to introduce the region’s horse industry and art collectors to these artists,” says Michel Michel.