The exhibition “Faces from the UAE” by photographer Amer Al Ali, who specialises in Emirati heritage photography, began yesterday at the Emirates Heritage Club.

The exhibition, which will conclude next Thursday, comprises photographs emphasising faces and folkloric items such as clothing, heritage professions and celebrations that characterise the Emirati people in their traditional environment to tell stories about the past and its originality. The black-and-white photographs are rich in detail. The photographer has used his skills to highlight the hidden beauty in the detail.

Al Ali said that he had chosen to specialise in heritage photography because he believes that Emirati heritage had not received the attention it deserves from photographers until now.

He added that as Emirati nationals it is their duty to showcase their heritage and present it properly to others, pointing out that he wishes his photography would reflect the nature of his country, its civilisation and heritage. He said that he is looking forward to participating in foreign exhibitions and competitions to achieve this goal.

The hall also witnessed another exhibition of the winning photographs of a photography competition that was held at the “Sultan bin Zayed Heritage Festival” in Suwaihan.

Zeina Baharoun from the Festival’s Photography Competition Committee highlighted that they are showcasing the winning photographs of the photography competitions that have been held since the 2016 edition. She added that the winning photographs from the different editions of the festival captured various features of the UAE’s heritage, similar to photographer Al Ali’s work On the first day, the exhibition attracted a large number of foreign tourists who were visiting the heritage village and expressed their interest in the content of the photographs.

WAM