Saudi artist proves disability is no barrier to success

Nujood Al-Otaibi saw her career blossom when Jeddah’s Athr Gallery displayed one of her paintings, a self-reflection influenced by her hearing loss and inspired by the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte. (Supplied)
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Updated 14 January 2021
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Saudi artist proves disability is no barrier to success

  • Loss of hearing has not stifled the creativity of Saudi painter Nujood Al-Otaibi, now looking forward to her first solo exhibition
  • Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform plan aims to empower people with disabilities so they can help shape the country’s future

DUBAI: Nujood Al-Otaibi began losing her hearing at around the age of five. In Taif, the area in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah region where she was born, her affliction was initially mistaken for a common fever. But as the years passed, her deafness became progressively worse and, by the time she finished higher education, she was almost entirely dependent on hearing aids.

Al-Otaibi ascribes the lack of public awareness about hearing disabilities in the village from where her mother came to its remote location. “Over the years, I learned how to read lips, which I find is the conversation of the soul,” Al-Otaibi, who turned 32 last year, told Arab News from her home in Jeddah, the city where she was raised and where she now combines her work as a teaching assistant with her passion for art and design.

Living with disability in the Arab world is a challenge for many reasons despite increasing recognition by governments of the rights of persons with disabilities. Social stigma is believed to be one reason why only 2 percent of the Arab population is reported to be living with disability even though the corresponding figure for the world population is 6 percent.

Social stigma, in turn, can leave persons with disabilities disempowered and excluded from public life. Even in Saudi Arabia, where about 7.1 percent of the population have some form of difficulty, according to a survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics, provision of equal opportunities in education and employment was not standard practice until fairly recently.

Attitudes are changing, however, in part thanks to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan to uphold the rights of persons with disability and empower them to participate in shaping the country’s economic and social future.

It is also changing thanks to the creative renaissance sweeping the Kingdom, which has given social issues such as disability a new medium for public expression. For Al-Otaibi, this climate of artistic freedom has allowed her to open up about her own struggles.

 




For Nujood Al-Otaibi, this climate of artistic freedom has allowed her to open up about her own struggles. (Supplied)

“It’s really hard in our society. People think you can’t do anything and that is shameful,” she said, referring to the condition in which persons with disabilities often find themselves in.

Unbowed by these attitudes, Al-Otaibi cites the example of Ludwig van Beethoven, the early 19th century German composer who, despite suffering from profound deafness in his later years, remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music.

“I don’t want to suffer. I want to be inspired by someone like Beethoven who had hearing disabilities yet was one of the best artists of all time. This is how I want to inspire people — I want to be the best and this is not going to stop me.”

Al-Otaibi’s artistic skills and abilities were nurtured early on. “My father is an artist and I remember seeing him painting from a very young age,” she said.

“My mother said I was three when I started drawing people and she remembered me drawing my aunt’s hair and uncle’s belly. No one knew I would become an artist one day, but my father was the only one who encouraged me to continue painting.”

She soon found inspiration in the hyperrealist movement, a genre of painting and sculpture which, on the surface, resembles a high-resolution photograph, but on closer inspection captures a deeper emotional narrative.

One of Al-Otaibi’s most recent works, “The Heart of the Kingdom,” is an oil painting depicting the flag of Saudi Arabia scrunched into the shape of a heart and set against a black background. The brushwork on the canvas is so precise that the green fabric almost seems real.

At the age of 16, Al-Otaibi completed her first oil painting titled “Peace,” which combined the flags of three Middle East countries. Another of her paintings depicted the 9/11 attacks on the US. Both of them proved problematic when it came to getting them publicly displayed. “It was really sad,” she said. “People back then had no idea about the meaning of art. Art was very limited in Saudi Arabia in the past.”

These early setbacks were not enough to stifle or crush her creativity, however. After completing school in Jeddah, Al-Otaibi moved to the US, where she spent eight years in Wisconsin studying art and design. It was here she explored her love of hyperrealism and began branching out into other styles of painting.
 




In "Heart of the Kingdom," the brushwork on the canvas is so precise that the green fabric almost seems real. (Supplied)

After a stint interning in the US, she returned to Saudi Arabia to work at the American International School of Jeddah. As her hearing loss became progressively worse, her desire to help others with disabilities grew.

“I wanted to be in a community where I could help children with disabilities like myself, and to help them reach their academic goals,” she said. “So, I decided to do art and help children believe in themselves, especially those with disabilities, because it’s really hard and people don’t shed light on it, especially in the Kingdom.”

As a teaching assistant specializing in assisted learning, Al-Otaibi helps her students identify their goals and pursue their dreams. “This is what I struggled with,” she said. “This is what’s going to keep you moving in life and I feel like it’s my purpose.”

Article 26 of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia, the most important legal document in the Kingdom, encourages the elimination of prejudice and discrimination on any basis, including disability. The rights of persons with disabilities are covered as part of a regulatory framework encompassing the systems of medical care, social services, labor, criminal procedure, legal commencements, social security, retirement and communication.

There are also a number of governmental and civil society institutions which undertake the mission of safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities, including government entities and non-profit organizations such as the National Society for Human Rights and the King Salman Center for Disability Research.

In Saudi Arabia’s increasingly tolerant and inclusive atmosphere, Al-Otaibi has seen her artistic career blossom. She crossed a significant personal milestone when Jeddah’s Athr Gallery displayed one of her paintings — a self-reflection influenced by her hearing loss.

“I never expected that one day I would showcase my artwork representing my disability,” she said.

“I wanted to deliver my idea by representing myself with no face and showing my ear in different objects,” she said. “It was inspired by the artist Rene Magritte — I love his style and work and the way he expresses his feelings.”

Like the Belgian surrealist’s most famous painting, “The Son of Man,” in which a hovering green apple largely obscures a man’s face, Al-Otaibi’s work depicts a strange, geometric dream world.

Near the center of the canvas, a hollow pink headscarf frames a deep blue void in place of a face, surrounded by walls, windows, and ghostly figures with their backs turned. To the right hangs a disembodied diagram of the inner ear.

The piece is a deviation from her usual attachment to hyperrealism — but is still laden with the same cutting social commentary, in this instance, perhaps, a critique of the social isolation of living with a disability.

Although Al-Otaibi is now looking forward to her first solo exhibition in Riyadh in 2021, details of which will soon be announced on her Instagram page, she says her greatest joy is seeing her students draw inspiration from her work, which shows that disabilities should not be viewed as a barrier to success.

“They know about my disability and they are curious about my hearing aid and they understand that some people may have such issues and that it’s okay,” she said.

“I’m really happy that the younger generation will no longer see this as something new or weird.”

Twitter: @CalineMalek


Exploring innovation at ‘Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft’ exhibition

Updated 59 min 53 sec ago
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Exploring innovation at ‘Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft’ exhibition

  • Step backstage to experience the creative processes of 10 renowned design studios, where failure fuels creativity

DHAHRAN: As a part of the annual Tanween conference at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, the “Behind the Curtains: Scenes of Craft” exhibition stands out as a captivating exploration of creativity, resilience and innovation in the world of design.

The exhibition, aligned with the Tanween 2024 theme “Fail Forward,” invites visitors to embrace the beauty of setbacks as vital stepping stones in the creative process.

The exhibition, aligned with the Tanween 2024 theme “Fail Forward,” invites visitors to embrace the beauty of setbacks as vital stepping stones in the creative process.
(Courtesy of Ithra Studios)

Curated and designed in collaboration with Isola Studio, the exhibition showcases the works of 10 internationally acclaimed studios specializing in crafts, circular design and material research, and is on until Nov. 6.

“The idea of staging the exhibition led us to the name ‘Behind the Curtains’ because we want to show what’s behind what you see, through a theater approach,” Gabriele Cavallaro, co-founder of Isola Studio, told Arab News.

“We asked studios to display their latest projects, not just the final results, but also the process, including failures, trials, and broken pieces. This highlights that reaching successful design involves going through mistakes and challenges.”

Curated and designed in collaboration with Isola Studio, the exhibition showcases the works of 10 internationally acclaimed studios specializing in crafts, circular design and material research.
(Courtesy of Ithra Studios)

Each studio provided a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their artistic processes, sharing inspirations, prototypes, and materials that did not make the final cut. This transparency highlighted the essential nature of experimentation in design.

At the heart of the exhibition lies an interactive workshop area, where visitors can partake in hands-on activities including sketching, molding, and experimenting with various materials, allowing them to experience the creative process firsthand. 

This interactive component emphasizes that creativity is often a non-linear journey filled with exploration and discovery.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ithra | (@ithra)

The “Fail Forward” theme runs throughout the exhibition, encouraging visitors to see failures as essential learning experiences. By sharing their struggles and lessons, the design studios inspire visitors to embrace their own creative challenges. 

Cavallaro expressed his hopes for visitors, stating: “I want them to understand the importance of taking risks in life to achieve success.”


Hia Hub session highlights vital role of pharmacies in Saudi Arabia’s growing skincare market

Updated 02 November 2024
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Hia Hub session highlights vital role of pharmacies in Saudi Arabia’s growing skincare market

RIYADH: Industry leaders discussed the evolving role of pharmacies in skincare during a session at Hia Hub, Saudi Arabia’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle conference, held in Riyadh’s JAX District from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.

The session, titled “Re-Defining the Pharmacy Channels in Skincare,” brought together prominent figures, including Charlotte Devaux, general manager of wellness and masstige, Pierre Juhen, group president of Patyka, Mahmoud Mamdouh, CEO of Whites Pharmacy, and Cynthia Kattar, editorial director of Hia Magazine.

Mamdouh emphasized the pivotal role of trust in pharmacy skincare. He said: “When discussing pharmacies and skincare, the main concept is trust.” 

(AN/ Huda Bashatah)

Over the past 15 years, pharmacies have cultivated strong relationships with customers, who often turn to pharmacists for personalized skincare consultations, he said. 

Devaux added to the discussion by highlighting social media’s impact on consumer behavior.

(AN/ Huda Bashatah)

She said that while platforms such as TikTok and Instagram offered abundant information, consumers still preferred advice from trusted pharmacists. “Wellness has become a priority for consumers, driving the growth of skincare,” she said. “This reliance on pharmacies as credible sources of information and products is crucial in a marketplace filled with conflicting messages.”

Juhen elaborated on the expansive reach of pharmacies. In Saudi Arabia, there are about 6,000 pharmacy locations, compared to 20,000 in France, he said. 

(AN/ Huda Bashatah)

He said that this dynamic retail channel had shown resilience, even during challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where the pharmacy segment in France experienced growth of 4 percent. 

Juhen highlighted the universal appeal of pharmacies and said: “Everyone visits pharmacies, regardless of age or socioeconomic status,” making them essential points of contact in the community.

The session concluded with a consensus among the speakers on the importance of pharmacies in the skincare sector. As trusted providers of personalized advice and quality products, pharmacies were well-positioned to lead the growth of skincare, they said.


Displaced Gazan artists’ work on display in ‘Under Fire’  

Updated 01 November 2024
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Displaced Gazan artists’ work on display in ‘Under Fire’  

  • An exhibition in Amman shows works smuggled out of Gaza during the ongoing Israeli assault 

DUBAI: A couple tenderly embracing each other; a family gathering; a flowering cactus; and a sunset colored in pink, yellow and orange. Such imagery represents some of the delicate drawings produced by four displaced Gazan artists, whose works are currently being showcased at Darat Al-Funun, an art center in Amman.  

Other images on display make for less comfortable viewing: exhausted people with missing limbs; men kneeling blindfolded in their underwear; women and children whose eyes are wide with terror. 

“Under Fire,” which runs until the end of the year, consists of around 80 artworks by Palestinian artists Basel Al-Maqousi, Majed Shala, Raed Issa and Sohail Salem. All four have been forced from their homes due to the ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza strip, which began in October 2023.  

A piece by Basel Al-Maqousi from the series 'I Draw with Love, not with War.' (Supplied)

For the exhibition’s curator, Mohammad Shaqdih, receiving the artists’ highly-charged artworks proved to be a cathartic experience. “I was following their work on social media, but when (the pieces) reached Amman and I held them in my hands, I cried at first, to be honest,” Shaqdih tells Arab News. “I was in a state of sadness and I don’t know why. While I was looking through them, I would take a drawing and then quickly put it away. There’s so much death, sadness and blood in these works. At the same time, they embody a form of resilience and resistance. They have life.”  

Organizing any art exhibition comes with its own set of challenges, but planning “Under Fire” was exceptionally difficult.  According to Shaqdih, communicating with the artists through messaging applications and having their works transported across the border were the main issues faced by the curatorial team.  

Raed Issa, 'Friends.' (Supplied)

In May and June 2024, around 100 artworks were taken from Gaza to Egypt. In early October, the works reached Jordan. “These works were passing through some conditions that were dangerous. Some of works were damaged or torn apart,” explains Shaqdih. “It was an adventure taking these works out of Gaza, but, thank God, they reached us.”  

The surviving artworks — predominantly sketches and line drawings — were created, by necessity, using the most basic of materials. Raed Issa, for instance, created his figurative images on medical aid packages using tea as a coloring base. Sohail Salem drew intensely-lined pen drawings in school notebooks provided by the UN Relief and Works Agency.  

Al-Maqousi is showcasing a series of drawings of daily life in crowded camps. “He said: ‘These works are not paintings or works of art for people to see or buy. They are a part of our bodies,’” Shaqdih says.   

Sohail Salem, 'Tala Abu Ajwa, Girl Skater.' (Supplied)

Thematically, the artworks — which are being sold to benefit the artists — are simple and touching. They evoke despair, loss and confusion, but there are elements of hope, love and beauty. One of Issa’s images of two young individuals, depicted with unclear features, is slightly enlivened by the red flowers they hold in their hands.  

“When you read the artists’ incredible accompanying statements, they’re full of human feelings,” Shaqdih says. “What they’re saying is that despite everything they’re going through with this genocide, they are still standing strong and resisting even if it’s through the act of drawing the daily massacres. They’re still able to work and express their existence as human beings under all the ugliness in this world. It’s a form of resistance and resilience.” 

Majed Shala, born in Gaza in 1960, is one of the exhibition’s participants. His works in “Under Fire” depict personal memories, scenes of nature, and life under bombardment. 

Shala’s home and studio were destroyed more than a year ago and he lost all of his artworks. “Under the sound of nonstop bombing, we were (told) to leave our area. We didn’t know where to go,” he tells Arab News. Shala is currently in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where, he says, “the situation is continuously difficult. There is no safety and there are no essential supplies.”  

On a positive note, he says he feels a sense of pride at having his sketches on display in Amman, a city he loves and where he has many friends.  

“I hope that the world stands by those who have the rights, who own the land,” says Shala, “and doesn’t simply watch indifferently from a distance.”  


Future Generation Art Prize unveils 2024 winner

Updated 31 October 2024
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Future Generation Art Prize unveils 2024 winner

DUBAI: The Future Generation Art Prize, one of the art world’s most prestigious prizes initiated in Ukraine in 2009, has announced its 2024 winners. Among the recipients are multidisciplinary artists who are associated with the Arab world.

The main $100,000 prize was granted to Dhaka-based artist, Ashfika Rahman. Other “Special Prize” winners include Iraqi-Kurdish artist, Tara Abdullah Mohammed Sharif, Palestinian artist Dina Mimi, Pakistani artist Hira Nabi, Indonesian-born artist Ipeh Nur, and Zhang Xu Zhan, who was born in Taiwan.

Special Prize winners will share a $20,000 pot between them to support the development of their projects.

Ashfika Rahman. (Supplied)

The prize’s 21 shortlisted artists are displaying their works at the PinchukArtCenter in Kyiv until Jan. 19, 2025 amid a recovering domestic art scene following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“A lot of artists are still actively present. Obviously, many artists in the beginning of the war have escaped but many also stayed,” artistic director of PinchukArtCenter and jury member, Björn Geldhof, told Arab News. “What is important is that from the very start of the war, artists were looking for ways to engage, and when I say ‘engage’, I don’t only mean through art, but how can they be functional in a situation like this? How can they serve their country?”

Ashfika Rahman. (Supplied)

The prize’s participants this year are exploring a thoughtful range of topics, expressed through immersive installations. According to a press release, what is “recurring through the exhibition is the exploration of local histories and mythologies to overcome historical trauma and the long-lasting effects of wars, as well as the process of liberation from the oppression of colonial influence.”

What sets the Future Generation Art Prize apart from others in the field is its focus on championing up-and-coming artists who are 35 years old or younger from around the world.

The curators of the exhibition. (Supplied)

One of the main issues facing emerging artists is a lack of access to curators, galleries and museum professionals to help boost their careers and encourage their artistic practice, according to Geldhof.  

“We want to really speak to an emerging generation with the strong belief that they kind of imagine the future,” he said. “They are dealing with concerns differently than the middle generation, so to speak. . . They imagine, in a very different way, how the world can look like.”


New York’s Met collaborates with Mideast homeware label Sedar on art-inspired furnishings 

The Artist_s Garden at Saint-Clair by Henri-Edmond Cross_Wallpaper Art The Met x Sedar Global
Updated 30 October 2024
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New York’s Met collaborates with Mideast homeware label Sedar on art-inspired furnishings 

DUBAI: New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Middle Eastern interiors brand Sedar Global are collaborating on a new range of soft furnishings featuring works of art in the former’s collection, with the first launch celebrating nature-themed creations.

Nahel Selo, creative director at Sedar Global Interiors, spoke to Arab News recently about the collection and what he envisions the most popular prints will be — including whether there are plans to feature Arab artists.

The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai as wallpaper. (The Met x Sedar Global)

The works of artists including French impressionist Claude Monet, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusai and Austrian painter Gustav Klimt have been translated into fabric form.

They will be used for wallpaper, curtains, upholstery and pillows to “(make) fine art accessible in a way that fits seamlessly into the home,” Selo said.

According to Sedar, the initial release “celebrates nature and new life through elements like land, sea, and air” and Selo explained the decision to launch with this collection.

Roses by Vincent van Gogh in the form of a roller blind. (The Met x Sedar Global)

“Nature has a universal appeal, and we felt that it’s something people can connect with on a deeper level, especially in our region where the landscape is diverse yet often harsh … plus, nature-themed designs are versatile; they complement both contemporary and traditional interiors,” he said.

While the target market includes individual homeowners and interior designers working on larger projects, Selo predicts that the “sea-inspired pieces might steal the show.

Red Poppies Charles Demuth on pillows.(The Met x Sedar Global)

“There’s something about the fluidity and tranquility of the ocean that speaks to people, especially in coastal areas.”

Future seasonal introductions will be thematic in nature, drawing on the 1.5 million works in The Met’s collection, which spans 5,000 years of art from around the globe.

When it comes to Middle Eastern creatives, Selo says the team at Sedar, which translates the artworks into pattern-form and soft furnishings before they are approved by The Met, is “looking into it.

“It would be a beautiful way to celebrate our regional culture. We’re exploring ways to bring in local artistry and add that unique Middle Eastern touch to future capsule collection releases,” he noted.

Grasshopper and Iris by Katsushika Hokusai as wallpaper. (The Met x Sedar Global)

When it comes to his own home, the creative designer is not one to shy away from bold uses of color and print.

“My home is slightly more bold and industrial. So I’d probably go for a (Wassily) Kandinsky on a wallpaper feature behind my sofa.

“Kandinsky’s geometry styles add depth and a statement talking point to a space,” he said, referring to the abstractionist Russian painter who died in 1944.