Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The creative process is never a straight line. As each piece progresses, I continuously challenge a...
About the artist
Joined In 2016
(3 Followers)
About the artist
Joined In 2016
(3 Followers)
The creative process is never a straight line. As each piece progresses, I continuously challenge and reinterpret what it will provide to viewers as an aesthetic experience. The materials I use are physical manifestations of the ideas explored- acting as conduits between concept and tangible reality. Glass, wood, paper, sand, and rope combine with ink pigments and photographic emulsions to blur the line between object and illusionistic representation. The finished form that results is an embodiment of concept, rather than a simple reflection of it.
My recent creative work is the direct result of moving to the UAE, focusing very intently on the examination of identity and location through the individuals and objects I have found in my new surroundings. The found objects I collect act as physical records of a location’s memory- unique artifacts that carry embedded remnants of the time and place they are discovered. My portrait work has evolved into more collaborative ventures with my subjects, directly engaging them through interviews and feedback asking for meaningful insights influencing the outcome of the piece. As these two bodies of work have begun to merge, I find myself constantly surprised at the unexpected result...
Originally from the United States, Joshua Watts received his undergraduate degree from Bradley University and Master of Fine Arts at the University of South Dakota, with a concentration in Printmaking. His work has been featured in over 70 group and solo exhibitions across the United States and internationally in venues including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Venice, Portugal, Malaysia, and Dubai. Notable exhibitions include Colorprint USA, ISEA 2014, Art Dubai, Douro Printmaking Biennale, and the Southern Graphics Council Traveling Exhibition.
His work explores notions of location, viewer engagement, personal histories, and the discovery of identity through interaction with others. The recent lightbox works incorporate transitory imagery activated by either the viewer or ambient light, providing alternative readings of the images and ideas presented through his artworks.
Since 2008, Joshua Watts has been an Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Zayed University in Dubai, UAE. Students in his Printmaking courses interact with the international art community through exchange portfolios each semester. Recent examples include Alberta College of Art and Design, West Virginia University, VCU Doha, and University of Hawaii ...
(Selected Exhibitions)
- "8th Douro International Printmaking Biennial" Douro Museum: Douro, Portugal (2016)
- "Revealed Dialogues" Sikka Art Fair, Al Fahidi District: Dubai, UAE (2016)
- (solo) "Resonant Disclosures" Hite Art Institute: Louisville, KY (2015)
- "SGCI Travelling Exhibition" Knoxville, TN and additional international venues (2015 - 2018)
- "ISEA 2014" Al Fahidi District: Dubai, Maraya Art Park: Sharjah, Al Furnoon Gallery: Abu Dhabi, UAE (2014)
- (solo) "A Sense of Place" Rewak Gallery: University of Sharjah, UAE (2013)
- "AMLP: Analog" Brooklyn Art Library: Brooklyn, NY (2013)
- "Art Dubai" Madinat Jumeirah: Dubai, UAE (2012)
- "Library Thoughts" Hungarian Multicultural Center: Budapest, Hungary (2011)
- (solo) "Between the Lines" Tashkeel Studios: Dubai, UAE (2011)
- "Penang International Print Exhibition" Penang State Museum & Gallery: Penang, Malaysia (2010)
- "50th International Juried Exhibition" Museum of the Living Artist: San Diego, CA (2009)
- "Emergence" Tenri Cultural Institute: New York, NY (2009)
- "Emerge: Ways of Worldmaking" San Servolo Palazzina: Venice, Italy (2009)
- "Silent Conversations" Tashkeel Studios: Dubai, UAE (2009)
- "Man Overboard" Studio 101 Pilsen: C...