Emne Al-Haje

"I was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1956. Throughout my life I've had an intense relationship with art, so much so that I studied architecture. I worked in that field for ten years, after which I decided to live exclusively from my artistic work.

"In 1992, a friend brought me to an artist's studio. She took me there so that I'd appreciate the artist's work, however the professor at the gallery insisted that I give it a try myself. I agreed to and I felt comfortable. I didn't believe then that I had found my path.

"However, I never gave up on architecture. My first works were completely inspired by its influence. I created many picture frames, lamps, ashtrays, household items, and others which reflect my aesthetic values, until I eventually reached sculpture which is something purely for decoration.

"In my sculptures, I recognize the aesthetic influence that comes from architecture, in its concern with form and trying to simplify, and trying to approximate the line. The sense of movement which most greatly impacts my pieces comes from ballet, which I practiced for many years. In my first phase, I worked with bronze and adopted a figurative style.

"In 1998, I cut back on my work in order to commit myself to the study of a new language, which resulted in my decision to work with iron and create more abstract works, in which the line no longer served as the structural form, as in my bronze pieces, so that the line itself became the focus of my work.

"I believe that in life, as in art, we must always strive for change, but a positive experience should not be ignored. As such, I don't consider bronze an outdated stage. I have the freedom to return to using this material whenever I feel like it. Nor have I abandoned my design work and so I continue to create practical pieces with strong aesthetic value.

"I am hopeful that, with your support, my work be seen internationally and appreciated by gallery owners, architects, interior designers, as well as international painters."

In 1996, Emne Al-Haje's "Concave Movement" sculpture took the gold medal in New York's Art Club Gallery, and she won a bronze medal in the 1st Art Salon promoted by the International Academy of Letters. The artist won another gold medal in the art exhibit organized by the Brazilian Association of Press in 1996.