Crowne Plaza Muscat depicts true Omani life in latest art exhibition

In her second solo exhibition, Karen will display a number of paintings interpreting true Omani life in pastel, oils and acrylics.

Inspired by the movement of traditional Omani dress, and the light and colour of their surroundings, Karen believes the Omanis have a 'natural grace', making them the perfect subjects for her artistic style. Having lived in Oman for 13 years, Karen studied Fine Art at West Surrey College of Art and Design in the UK, and has taken part in several local joint exhibitions over the years.

Citing contemporary figurative artists such as Euan Uglow, Paula Rego, Peter Howson and Amrita Shergil, the 20th century icon of contemporary Indian feminism, as her inspiration, Karen said,

"My work is figurative - meaning art that is derived from real object sources or representational of true figures - so what I see in my day to day life are my subjects. Traditional Omani culture can be depicted so beautifully using pastel with techniques like 'chiaroscuro', a contrast between light and dark on figures which can add volume to the human form in the most striking way."

Chiaroscuro was a revolutionary technique used by the likes of Baroque artist Caravaggio and Rembrandt in the Seventeenth century, and one can see that this is also where Karen's inspiration lies.

"Karen has such a unique artistic style which has proven extremely popular amongst local art appreciators. We are very excited at hosting her exhibition," said David Todd, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Muscat. "As with all art exhibitions the Crowne Plaza Muscat has held over the past months, from Miranda Dalessi to David Webber, we expect there to be an interesting response both from local and overseas art collectors."

Next month, the Crowne Plaza Muscat will host the last in its Raymond Weil series of exhibitions from Belgium painter Claudie Clinckemaillie. Todd added, "We are delighted at the response we have received from all of our exhibitions and believe that the Crowne Plaza Muscat is now considered an important venue for artists and appreciators alike to share their love of visual expression."

Karen Carpenter's 'Exposure' exhibition opened on Tuesday 24th February and runs through to 28th February. The exhibition then moves to the Al Madina Art Gallery until 7th March.