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Not a literal one—but something quieter, psychological. The kind you hesitate at for reasons you can’t explain. At Gallery 350, Mariyam Omar’s solo exhibition unfolds around this moment of hesitation—the weight of staying still, the pain of finally pushing through.

The exhibition is called "Inertia." But nothing here is truly still.

For the artist behind the exhibition, inertia is more than a concept—it’s a lived experience.

"Most of the paintings are exploring that (intertia)... The paintings here are mainly focusing on the outward appearance—not giving away inertia. They're very composed… that kind of thing. But you can see a little bit of upheavals," said Mariyam, gesturing towards the three paintings you’d notice on the left when walking into her second solo exhibition. 

“...and then over to that side, you see three paintings where you come out of inertia,” she explained, gesturing to the paintings tucked away beyond the first three.

Through the Doorway

Inertia, in this context, is both theme and condition. The artworks map the psychological weight of being stuck—hovering at the edge of change, unable to pass through. The exhibition follows a journey: from tension and composure to release and rupture. 

Amongst the sea of paintings, an installation of a red open door stands out. The art installation embodies the essence of transition through the striking red door intersected by a flowing, smoke-like mesh. The bold, upright frame stands as a symbol of thresholds—moments of choice, change, or movement.

The artist has long been preoccupied with thresholds. “I’ve always been fascinated by doorways,” she says. “Something psychological happens when you pass through. Like you’re going somewhere or something is happening - I don’t know how to describe it. This is a manifestation of inertia. So you have to go through the doorway, although it’s very difficult for you to go, so it could be painful both physically and mentally as well.”

Mariyam describes the process of coming out of inertia or “escaping inertia” as cathartic, which are represented in some of the paintings. She describes those paintings as “not controlled or aesthetically appealing.”

“That is why those paintings are really different and more explosive and raw. And somewhat ‘ugly’ as well… I feel like there’s a beauty in the rawness of it, although it looks disturbing and not visually appealing.”

One constant is colour. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always liked red. I've been drawn to it... I feel like red is a primal thing for us... It's ugly and beautiful at the same time. You can't ignore it.”

Another striking feature of her paintings, aside from the vibrant redness, are figures in stark white juxtaposed with the red. Her figures, where they appear, are often left unpainted—coated with a primer or canvas left bare. 

Mariyam explains that it represents the emptiness that is inside the figure while being surrounded by emotion.

The works themselves are produced in single sittings. “Each painting takes one day. Because I feel like until they’re done, they kind of own me. I feel like I can’t do anything else until I finish the painting. 

Mariyam expressed that she really couldn’t leave them overnight as it wouldn’t feel authentic anymore.

Art Scene in the Maldives: a Shifting Landscape

This is the artist’s second solo exhibition, following her 2011 debut titled ‘Untitled Works.’ Since then, the art scene in the Maldives has shifted, if not structurally, then in energy. 

“Over the years, I feel like, people have been less afraid to move away from commercial stuff and explore themselves. Which is what art is supposed to be. None of that touristy stuff. That’s what I really like… I really hate the commercial, confining things, pretty things that you just get sick of. That’s the change: people have realised that they’re not painting for other people but painting for themselves or creating things for themselves.”

But navigating the creative path remains fraught, as many creatives in the country take jobs in irrelevant fields for income. “It’s hard to live off art in this country. You have to do things you hate in order to do this. But in order to do this, you have to get rid of that mindframe you’re in.” She recently left a job that had become untenable. “I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

And even within the space of art, expression isn’t always free. “I can’t do what I really want, which is why those people (some figures in her paintings) are censored in there. So it’s like inertia within inertia ironically.”

Still, her work resists being boxed in. Asked if the pieces are autobiographical, she declines to say. “I’d rather keep that to myself. I’m really interested in how other people see it, too. Because I feel it’s part of the process… that makes it more meaningful to me.”

“I don’t have advice,” the artist says when asked if she has any advice for younger artists. “Just… be you.” And in this moment, that feels like enough.

‘INERTIA’ will be on view till the 6th of May at Gallery 350 (next to Meraki).

Opening hours:

13:00 - 23:00 (Saturday - Thursday)

16:00 - 22:00 (Friday)