Adam Ball, a 38-year-old artist from England, has a unique, intricate style that earned his piece, ‘Involution’ a permanent place in Muscat’s Bait Al Zubair museum. He says thathis experiences in Oman have earned the Sultanate a permanent place in his heart. “I exhibit internationally and get sent off all over the world,” said Ball. “I have been to the Middle East before, so I thought I knew what Oman might be like, but I was absolutely blown away by Oman as a country. “There aren’t many places I could leave London for; I think I could live in LA, and I love Parma and Mallorca, but after this visit, I would add Muscat to my list — I enjoyed it that much.”
Adam spent the first few days of his time in the country opening the exhibition and installing his work. Then he had the opportunity to step away from the gallery and experience some of Oman’s vibrant culture. Adam visited the souq, Muscat’s old town and Muttrah, but what excited him the most was his trip to Sharqiyah. “We went into the desert, into Wahiba Sands, and we spent two nights there, and I have to say that is something that will live with me for avery long time,” said Adam. “Having dinner under the stars every night and watching the sun go down was incredibly peaceful and relaxing.” Adam took inspiration from the beautiful desert landscape and featured it as a backdrop for his Clarks Desert Boot redesign project, Clarks: Rebooted. “Fourteen of us had been asked to reinterpret [The Desert Boot] and I had finished mine, which comes out in July, and I brought a pair with me,” said Ball. “I thought as we were in the desert, I'll take a photograph of it. As the sun was going down, it kind of captured what I was trying to do really well, which echoes very much into my work.”
Oman’s beautiful environment and architecture affected Adam, sparking ideas that he will likely incorporate into future works. “As an artist it’s really important to have your eyes open all the time, to constantly be looking, thinking, photographing,” Adam said. “It’s difficult to predict how what you experience and see will affect your art work. Often something that you've seen will come into your work a year later or two years later; almost as if it is coming in by osmosis.” Adam will surely return to the Sultanate for inspiration. He has already been recommending Oman as a holiday destination to friends and family back in London. “I think one of the reasons I feel that Oman has had a lasting effect on me is because I think it’s rare in life to be somewhere on holiday that surpasses all of your expectations, and that’s what Oman did for me,” said Ball. “Although [Oman] is progressing and changing very quickly, it doesn’t feel like it’s being taken over or ruined, it just feels like it’s developing, I think in a sensitive and interesting way,” said Ball. With roughly 50 per cent of the Omani population under the age of 24 years old, Adam feels that the youthful energy creates an environment constructive to young artists. “Oman does have a young vibe to it and it’s a country that’s progressing with the next generation.”
