Shara Art Fair brings together Saudi artists

Cutouts hang from the ceiling of the gallery symbolize the urban landscaping and the style of the houses. (Photo/Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 25 November 2020
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Shara Art Fair brings together Saudi artists

  • With the global pandemic closing art galleries and canceling live events, artists took a hit like many other workers

JEDDAH: The Saudi Art Council brought together a wide range of local artists after the months-long lockdown for the 6th Shara Art Fair, which was recently launched in Jeddah at the council’s headquarters.

With the global pandemic closing art galleries and canceling live events, artists took a hit like many other workers. The Shara Art Fair, however, allowed artists from all across the country to exhibit their talents in seven art galleries.

The participating galleries included Athr Gallery, Hafez Gallery, 6th Sense Art, Noor Gallery, Tasami Creative Lab, BHAC, and Visual Stations.

Heba Abed, a visual artist and painter, said that her life during the pandemic was a combination of “watching TV, eating, and painting.”

Inspired by her surroundings, Abed’s artwork was a collection of one hundred paintings that exhibit the emotions she felt during the hundred days of quarantine.

“Some of the paintings express the feelings I had while in quarantine, while others are inspired by fairy tales because there was a lot of time for our minds to wander while we were stuck at home,” she told Arab News. 




Heba Abed

She added: “I would sometimes paint more than one painting a day during the lockdown. While we were all bored, I decided to practice the thing I loved most. I found inspiration in my life, in society and in everything that happened around me.”

Artist Elham Dawsari, on the other hand, used the 1990s as inspiration for her artwork, “Nefa,” which means a spacious place with few to no walls. The installation, featuring clay women set over acrylic boxes with mirrors inside, is meant to symbolize the women’s untold stories.

“The idea behind the piece was to represent the lives of the women in the 90s,” she said.

Cutouts hang from the ceiling of the gallery around the art, which according to Dawsari, symbolize the urban landscaping at the time and the style of the houses.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Shara Art Fair allowed artists from all across the country to exhibit their talents in seven art galleries.

• The participating galleries included Athr Gallery, Hafez Gallery, 6th Sense Art, Noor Gallery, Tasami Creative Lab, BHAC, and Visual Stations.

“They also show how those designs imposed themselves on our lives,” she said. “They show certain aspects of society and how we behaved and how our bodies looked because of the limited space we had to walk around in; they were fuller but also more muscular because of all the hard work the women used to do.”

The clay figures of the women are based on Dawsari’s memory and the collective memory of her family.

Another piece featured large wooden dolls perched on a table. As time passed, the artist painted more dolls. The founder of Dar Malak, Malak Masallati, was the designer and director of the project and expressed the hope that her wooden dolls would become the next “Saudi Wooden Dolls.”

“I wanted to create wooden dolls that represent our country and its culture and that could become an icon. I called the project ‘Nasana’,” she told Arab News.

Dar Malak worked with designers and artisans to translate the idea of Masallati into actual objects.

Masallati worked with a wood factory that handled the woodturning and scaling for her.

“I did my research on the proportions of the human body, using examples of different bodies to create the variety you see here,” she added.


Health campaign promotes quality care in Saudi Arabia

Updated 04 November 2024
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Health campaign promotes quality care in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has launched a campaign to promote health by enhancing access to and the quality and efficiency of health services and raising awareness of health risks, the Saudi Press Agency reported Monday.

The campaign “A Vibrant, Healthy Nation” introduces a modern healthcare model, offering integrated, individual-centered services aligned with Vision 2030’s goal of fostering a healthy society.

The ministry is committed to “enhancing public health, improving quality of life, and raising the Kingdom’s global healthcare standing.”

The campaign highlights the health transformation initiative’s positive impacts and informs citizens about its main features, aiming to engage all segments of society, SPA reported.

It emphasizes a shift from treating illness to prevention, involving primary care doctors and early detection programs.


Saudi environment ministry launches program to develop green tech

Updated 04 November 2024
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Saudi environment ministry launches program to develop green tech

  • Scheme seeks new ways to repurpose wastewater, looks at impact of microplastics

RIYADH: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has opened applications for a new program to find ways to develop sustainable technologies in Saudi Arabia.

The Sustainable Innovation Fellowship Program aims to find ways to repurpose by-products from water treatment for the benefit of the environment; develop sustainable technologies for recycling membranes used in water treatment; and explore methods to reuse treated wastewater in desert and arid regions.

Supported by the Environment Fund and the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, the fellowship program will also assess the environmental impact of microplastics in water treatment plants, sewage, and wastewater.

In line with Saudi Vision 2030, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is also introducing new e-services in accordance with international standards.


Industry meets creativity at Athar festival in Riyadh

Updated 04 November 2024
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Industry meets creativity at Athar festival in Riyadh

  • With workshops, discussions, and awards, the festival aims to drive growth in Saudi Arabia’s creative sectors

The second Athar Saudi Festival of Creativity will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 5 to 6.

Hosted by UAE-based Motivate Media Group and communications consultancy TRACCS, the festival will gather over 1,500 professionals and leaders from the creative marketing industry, featuring 100 regional and international speakers.

Ian Fairservice, managing partner and group editor in chief of Motivate Media Group, will chair the event, alongside Vice Chairman Mohammed Al-Ayed, CEO of TRACCS.

Pre-festival activities began on Nov. 3 with the Young Talent Academies, including the Student Creative Academy (in partnership with the Middle East Communications Network), the Student Marketers Academy, the NextGen Creative Academy, and the NextGen Marketers Academy.

These academies, featuring keynote sessions from industry experts, workshops, and a 24-hour hackathon, are open to full-time university students aged 18 to 25 and professionals under 30 in creative communications, marketing, or advertising.

The festival will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday with panel discussions, presentations, and fireside chats focused on redefining and growing the creative landscape in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and beyond, covering various sectors such as sports, entertainment, and tourism.

The event will conclude with the Athar Awards ceremony on the evening of Nov. 6.

Notable speakers include Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital PLC; Matt McKie, director of marketing for Manchester United; Waseem Kashan, executive director of marketing at ROSHN Group; Yahya Hamidaddin, vice president of corporate communications at ACWA Power; and Houda Tohme, CEO of Havas Media Middle East.

Sessions and keynotes will explore themes such as purpose-driven marketing, brand growth strategies, artificial intelligence, technology, cross-sector innovation, and unlocking creative potential.


Saudi Arabia and Iraq sign MoU on military cooperation

Updated 04 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia and Iraq sign MoU on military cooperation

  • Two defense ministers reviewed longstanding relations between their countries, focusing on ways to enhance defense ties

RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and his Iraqi counterpart Thabet Al-Abbasi signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday aimed at strengthening cooperation in the military field.

The agreement, signed during a high-level meeting in Riyadh, represents a significant step forward in defense collaboration between the Kingdom and Iraq, Saudi Press Agency reported.

During their discussions, the two ministers reviewed the longstanding relations between their countries, focusing on ways to enhance defense ties.

They emphasized the importance of continued cooperation to foster regional security and stability, particularly amid ongoing regional tensions.

Both ministers discussed recent developments and shared efforts aimed at de-escalating conflicts, prioritizing actions that support peace and security in the region.

The MoU establishes a framework for increased collaboration on military matters, allowing Saudi Arabia and Iraq to address shared security challenges more effectively and pursue mutual goals in defense, SPA added. 


Saudi Islamic affairs minister receives Chinese envoy

Updated 04 November 2024
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Saudi Islamic affairs minister receives Chinese envoy

Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Dr. Abdullatif Al-Asheikh received Chinese Ambassador to the Kingdom Chang Hua in Riyadh on Monday.

During the meeting, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed issues of common interest, particularly those related to Islamic work and promoting moderation and peaceful coexistence, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar received Ambassador of Iran to the Kingdom Alireza Enayati in Riyadh on Monday. They discussed bilateral relations and other topics of common interest.