Drawing on his pioneering role in the development of contemporary art in the UAE, Hassan Sharif used his practice as a platform to critique the growing culture of consumerism in his home country. His Objects series, conceptualised in the early 1980s and sustained until his passing in 2016, exemplifies this critical engagement. For this series, he sourced inexpensive, mass-produced items readily available in Sharjah’s local markets, reflecting a clear Duchampian influence. He repurposed these everyday materials to shift attention from their function to their physical form, emphasising their materiality over utility. Jute, Cloth and Rope (1985) comprises 28 individual pieces heaped together. Their spatial arrangement becomes a kind of performance, aiming to render the objects visually compelling and aesthetically resonant. Through this performative gesture, Sharif offers a pointed yet playful critique of mass production and consumer culture. His commentary is infused with humour and what he described as ‘positive irony’.

^{*Currently exhibited at Hayy Jameel}