Argentinian digital artist Sergio Miranda has been showcasing images of the kingdom at his first solo photography exhibition at the World Beat Fitness Centre and Café in Janabiya.
The intriguing pictures captured through his lens highlighted what inspires him, where he came from and his now beloved home, Bahrain.
Mr Miranda arrived in the kingdom in March last year to work in the fashion and advertising industry. With more than 10 years’ experience in art the 32-year-old, who now lives in Sanabis, has presented his work in Patagonia, Argentina, Brazil and Dubai.
He said: “Contradictions and oppositions inspire me. I’m referring to beauty and love, and hate and ugliness.”
His exhibition Square Root, which attracted art lovers from across the kingdom since the beginning of the month, featured scenic images from three different series.
The first two, entitled Numero 11 and Bahrain on a Square, are part of his bigger series and are priced at BD120 each.
Mr Miranda said: “The images from those series explore textures and colours from Patagonia, the place where I’m from and also from Bahrain where I live now. Those images were created with decorative aspirations to be printed on fabric, to be produced as fashion accessories and garments.”
The third series priced at BD200 each, called Ombligo, which is Spanish for belly button, was developed during a creative workshop by Al Riwaq Gallery and featured at the festival, Alwan 338.
He added: “I was selected along with a group of seven Bahraini photographers, to create a series of images that explore the concepts of finding a common ground between the ideas of interior and private, as opposed to exterior and public.
“This project was coordinated by two members of the French collective Tendance Fleue and exhibited in Adliya’s streets during the festival.”
Before dabbling in photography, Mr Miranda had dreams of being a director. He said: “At the beginning I studied cinema to be a director. Later, I realised that as a director it was much harder and demanded much longer hours to reach end results.
“When a friend started studying photography I joined in. I realised that I could relate photography to fashion, which is my specialty and a discipline that I love. I went back to cinematography school, but to study cinema photography.
“Photography has always been seen as a faithful reproduction of reality, since its beginnings. It is a narrative construction, as much as a painting or a drawing. The aim in my work is to create realities that also keep a hint of doubt, making viewers question if what they are seeing is real or not.”
Mr Miranda hopes that this exhibition will open the doors to an art career in Bahrain. He said: “Bahrain’s art scene is very interesting and there’s amazing people working in it. I could say that one of my goals is to gain recognition in the Middle East for my art but my primary goal is to meet new people and learn from this experience.”
The exhibit will be open at World Beat Fitness Centre and Café until the end of this month every day except Fridays and entry is free.
