Virtual artspace opens new worlds for disabled artists

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Najd Alsahli, a communication manager in a government sector, collaborated with her brother Abdullah to bring the studio to life. (Supplied)
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Updated 04 August 2023
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Virtual artspace opens new worlds for disabled artists

RIYADH: Saudi brother and sister Abdullah and Najd Alsahli created the virtual studio Art Without Limits with the goal of empowering artists living with disabilities.

Abdullah, an independent artist, has spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that affects movement and strength. He was determined to find art software suitable for artists with similar conditions.

In 2019, he began publishing articles talking about his experience using various types of software. The following year, he published his second article, “How I use Blender with a Disability,” listing his user-friendly tools and applications to create art.

“A few years ago, I started writing articles about my process on public platforms such as Medium. The goal of those articles was to create something that might be useful for anyone with the same condition as me or anyone interested in creating art in general,” Abdullah said.

After receiving positive feedback from fellow artists and followers, he continued to write more about his experiences.

“Those articles were received really well and it inspired me to continue expanding on it, so the Art Without Limits studio is a natural evolution of my early articles.

“I get messaged often by people saying I inspired them to start doing digital art, which is some of the most encouraging feedback an artist can receive. It’s quite surreal.”

Abdullah, who goes by his artist name ARC, said his goal is to “deconstruct the limits any disabled artist might face while creating art, hence the name Art Without Limits.”

He urges artists to “work within their disabilities” and find a medium that suits their artistic style.

“I picked digital art because it was the best medium for my specific disability. It doesn’t require a lot of physical strength to move a touchpad around, unlike painting where you need to move a brush around a large canvas, which is physically difficult depending on what kind of disability you have.”

Abdullah’s animations are smooth loops of digital art.

“My art style has evolved and changed throughout the years, and I am sure it will continue changing as I grow older, but the main theme is smooth, soothing looping animations. My goal is to create something mesmerizing and pleasant to look at.”

Abdullah said he has unlocked his artistic potential by constantly sketching and publishing his art.

“It creates a satisfying feedback loop that motivates you to create more, and with creating more, you get better at unlocking your full artistic potential.”

Although there have been developments in art creation software, Abdullah said there is “always room for improvements” to make products more user-friendly.

“But you can’t really wait for them to arrive. Any person with a disability knows the best way to get things done is by doing them yourself; that’s why most of the assistive technologies I use are things I made myself or constructed from off-the-shelf products.”

Najd, a communication manager in a government sector, collaborated with her brother to bring the studio to life.

“It started with my brother Abdullah approaching me about an idea to expand his articles and work on an art studio with a focus on artists with disabilities.

Najd said she attended international events to spread the AWL Studio name and shed light on their objective.

“I was already heavily involved with helping him with the logistics of his art journey in terms of attending international events on his behalf when he couldn’t travel, and presenting a few of his talks in France and the US. So, being a co-founder in Art Without Limits felt like a natural extension of that.”

She said that as an outsider looking in, assistive technologies could be improved for artists who rely on their use.

“While working closely with Abdullah, I noticed a lot of assistive technologies have room for improvement in terms of availability. It’s quite difficult to find what we need locally, so we’ve been making our own custom systems and tools, and we hope we can open source them in the future.”

Abdullah and Najd plan to make AWL Studio into a physical space in the future. In the meantime, Abduallah will continue to pursue his career as an artist.

“If I can help encourage one person to pursue art then I’d feel pretty accomplished already. Creating art can be quite therapeutic, especially for people with disabilities — the sense of accomplishment when you finish a piece of art is quite magical.”

 For more information on ARC’s artworks visit: https://arc.art/a-selection-of-my-artworks


KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia

Updated 30 min 26 sec ago
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KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed shelter and winter clothing to displaced people in Lebanon and Somalia, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Orphans and those with special needs in Lebanon’s Akkar Governorate received vouchers to purchase winter clothes from approved stores.

The beneficiaries also included Syrian refugees and vulnerable members of the host community.

In Somalia, 920 shelter kits, 80 tents and 1,000 clothing kits benefited 6,000 displaced people in several camps in the Banaadir region as part of a project aiming to provide 7,600 shelter and clothing kits and 215 tents in the area.

Both initiatives are part of the ongoing humanitarian assistance provided by KSrelief to countries and people in need around the world.


Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20

Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20

RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations, developments in the Middle East, and the efforts being made in these regards.
The meeting was attended by the Director-General of the Office of the Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Aldawood.


Saudi Arabia FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening

Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening

  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan leads Kingdom’s delegation on behalf of crown prince 

RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led the Kingdom’s delegation at the first session of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which opened on Monday.

Prince Faisal, who is leading the delegation on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, spoke at the summit’s opening session which was called “Social Inclusion and Combating Hunger and Poverty.”

Prince Faisal highlighted pressing global challenges, noting that increasing tensions, military conflicts, and humanitarian crises were significant obstacles to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, adding: “Development and prosperity cannot be achieved on the ruins of death and destruction.”

Moving on to the ongoing crises in the Middle East, Prince Faisal pointed to Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, describing them as sources of severe human suffering and catalysts which were pushing the region toward broader conflict.

He said: “The ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon has caused unprecedented levels of human suffering; is pushing the region to the brink of a wider war … and is undermining the credibility of international law and institutions.”

Prince Faisal reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to peace, stating the Kingdom’s unwavering stance on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza; unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance; the release of hostages; and a serious commitment to lasting peace based on the two-state solution according to the 1967 borders, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The minister also addressed the situation in Sudan, expressing concern over the severe human toll due to the conflict, and obstacles preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected communities.

In addition to political challenges, Prince Faisal commended Brazil’s initiative in launching the International Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which aligns with Saudi Arabia’s development and humanitarian objectives. He announced the Kingdom’s participation in the alliance, which resonates with its long-standing global efforts.

He said: “The Kingdom is pleased to be part of this alliance that is in line with its development goals and its global role in this regard, which is expressed by the programs of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (and) the Saudi Fund for Development, in addition to its global contributions to the programs of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to support developing countries.”

The Kingdom’s delegation included Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Deputy Minister of Finance (Saudi Sherpa for the G20) Abdul Mohsen bin Saad Al-Khalaf, and Ambassador to Brazil Faisal bin Ibrahim Ghulam.

The G20 Summit in Brazil serves as a platform for the world’s leading economies to address global challenges and promote collective solutions aimed at fostering sustainable development and social equity.

On the sidelines of the summit, Prince Faisal met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During their meeting they discussed US-Saudi relations, as well as regional developments and the efforts made in this regard.


Saudi defense minister meets governor of US State of Indiana

Updated 18 November 2024
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Saudi defense minister meets governor of US State of Indiana

  • The two discussed bilateral ties and other issues of common interest

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Governor of the US state of Indiana Eric Holcomb in Riyadh on Monday.

During the meeting, the two discussed bilateral ties and other issues of common interest, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Abdulrahman bin Ayyaf and Chief of Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili were among the Saudi officials present.

Commander-in-Chief of the Indiana National Guard Maj. Gen. Roger Lyles and head of the US Military Training Mission in the Kingdom Col. Dirk Smith were among the US officials present.

 


Misk City, Samsung Saudi Arabia to collaborate in smart city technology

Updated 18 November 2024
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Misk City, Samsung Saudi Arabia to collaborate in smart city technology

  • Partnership forms part of vision to create ‘integrated system that supports innovation and creativity among Saudi youth’

RIYADH: Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City, which is also known as Misk City, on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the tech giant Samsung Electronics to cooperate in the sectors of smart city technology, sustainability, and youth empowerment.

Misk City’s CEO David Henry signed the memorandum with the President of Samsung Electronics Saudi Arabia Hendrick Lee, on the sidelines of the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh, which finishes on Tuesday.

Henry said that the partnership with Samsung “represents an important step in line with Misk City’s strategic vision of creating an integrated system that supports innovation and creativity among Saudi youth,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He stressed the importance of working with Samsung “to create a vibrant and innovative environment that presents a unique model for smart cities.” 

Lee said that Samsung’s “cooperation with Misk City represents our unified commitment to leading innovation and sustainability with the aim of developing transformative solutions that enhance urban life and empower future generations in the field of technology, which benefits our communities.” 

The two parties will also collaborate on developing training programs specifically designed to hone the skills of Saudi’s youth to help enhance smart city experiences. These programs will later be hosted and delivered in Misk City, the SPA added.

Samsung Electronics is also considering setting up a showroom in Misk City to showcase its latest artificial intelligence-powered smart technologies, providing visitors with a firsthand experience of smart homes and understanding of future innovations.