For the second year running, The Saudi Art Council has organized and opened its doors for the Kingdom’s most influential art galleries to present some of the country’s leading local artists’ work. Shara Art Fair, opened on the 21st of Ramadan and running for five days, was held at the Saudi Art Council headquarters after the success of last year’s art fair. Sponsored by UBS, the world’s leading wealth manager, the sponsorship of the Shara Art Fair follows a successful collaboration between UBS and the Council during the 2015 art fairs that showcased the history and direction of contemporary visual arts in Saudi Arabia through a number of exhibitions, most prominent among them “21.39”, providing the public a unique chance to learn about the development of the visual art movement through the eyes of local artists. This year, it added a new feature for the art scene by having presented local food and furniture initiatives that made waves in the area; Medd Coffee and Roastry, Shelter Shoppe, Oil Barrel and Mashareq.
The participating galleries included Athr Art Gallery, Hafez Art Gallery, Cuadro Art Gallery and a silent auction held by Al-Mansouria Foundation, a foundation established by Princess Jawaher Bint Majed in support of creativity in the Kingdom. The gallery is set to encourage more Saudi artists to participate in the growing contemporary visual arts movement that has seen a great boom in the past few years and more galleries are set out to showcase their work for public viewing depicting Saudi culture and history through their eyes. Such an initiative not only encourages artists, but encourages the public to understand what Saudi artists portray through their canvases, sculptures, calligraphy, Islamic art and geometry and photographs, bringing together artists from across the Kingdom in one art space.
The space was divided according to the number of galleries partaking in the art fair and the number of artists showcasing their work this year was impressive with many varied pieces that surely caught the attention of newcomers and art lovers alike. To name a few from the field of Islamic calligraphy and geometric Islamic art, there’s Ahmad Angawi with his take on Hijazi patterns of “Al-Mangour” on glass and number talismans from Dana Awartani’s “The Hidden Qualities of Quantities”. Arwa AlNeami’s “spring camel” photographs in full blown vibrant colors, Ghada Al-Rabea’s pop art, Osama Esid’s “Erk Soos” and Moath AlOfi’s “Haramain” from his recent exhibit “Doors of Barlik” were all a hit with the visitors.
It was difficult to pass by and not stare in awe at the the intricate details of Izzat Batrawi’s “relief sculpture” with impressively fine and designed wood work , as was the neon installation by Majed Thobaiti depicting the ever so known arabic version “hhhh”.
There was an abundance of paintings displayed from various well-known and young up and coming artists, each painting with a significant concept of its own, each telling a story. There’s Tagreed Bagshi’s beautiful painting signifying the heroism of women and mysticism on a canvas aptly named “paradise”, a beautiful mix of collage and print in Garden 1 from Filwa Nazer’s Green Library Series. There was “The Ramadan Story” by Ola Hejazi, the vibrant work of the seven tawaf or circumambulations around the Kaaba series by Siddiqa Juma, Ammar Al-Attar’s five print series “salah” in an exquisite portrayal of the daily sacred ritual of prayer, as never seen before.
The Kingdom is seeing a new wave of art enthusiasm in all its forms with centers and galleries offering the best services to steer up and coming artists into the path they need to progress and evolve. Society is also opening up to the art movement, understanding the concept of art bit by bit and allowing a new contemporary wave to be displayed and appreciated.
Oil Barrel founders Mohammed Awlia and Omar Naseef were participating in the art fair as part of an initiative to support local brands as well as to integrate them with the art scene, a mix that sat well with Oil Barrel founders. “We enjoyed being a part of Shara Art Fair as it was also an opportunity for Oil Barrel to give its own rendition of the artistic history lesson through our version of Vision 2030. We chose a concept that was similar to the one Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented but through a hundred year timeline, vision 1930. It was a period of discovery and entrepreneurship, fast forward a hundred years later and the concept can be applied to the now.”
Oil Barrel’s corner of the art fair featured a centerpiece of stacked oil barrels with calligraphy work by artist Shaker Kashgari, a large mural by mother and daughter duo Siham Abdulgadir and Majdaline Bakr and original newspaper clippings from the 1930’s recreating a timeline on the very beginnings of the oil industry of the Kingdom. “Being part of Shara Art Fair also gave us the opportunity to test drive Oil Barrel’s latest furniture line, it was a success with lots of orders coming in. We literally recycle and reuse oil barrels in creative methods related to our brand,” said Mohammed Awlia.
Medd coffee and Roastery, a new favorite among Jeddawis was also a participant, serving their signature 100 percent organic, fair trade and freshly brewed specialty coffee, hot or cold of course, as well as sweets and snacks from local home businesses, an initiative they’ve been supporting since opening.
Shelter Shoppe, a concept store collaboration between husband and wife duo Faisal Sheraiff and Reem Basaad, was also a participant in the fair presenting home décor selected especially by the duo. “Shara Art Fair shared the same concept as the one we took up on ourselves to present in Shelter Shoppe, it was great being a part of such an amazing art movement. We choose pieces that are one of a kind. We handpick them ourselves and much to our pleasure, visitors were very pleased with our products and shared their delight as they browsed the area,” exclaimed Faisal Sheraiff. “We will definitely be participating more with The Saudi Art Council, the art lovers are exactly the target market we strive to attract to share our love for art.” Mashareq, a store that specializes specifically in traditional arts and crafts of the Islamic heritage, also debuted some of its magnificent wood work, handcrafted furniture and home accessories by Middle Eastern artisans. Their displays featured works that literally would take you decades back when woodwork was flaunted in homes, each uniquely crafted by the finest craftsmen.
The Saudi Art Council in partnership with the many galleries at the Shara Art Fair are helping artists in the Kingdom to come forward and showcase their work, simply by arranging art exhibits with exceptional concepts.
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Shara Art Fair celebrates Saudi artists
Shara Art Fair celebrates Saudi artists
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.”
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.
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.
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’
- 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?”
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.
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
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 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.
“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.
“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.
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.
May Calamawy celebrates her birthday with tribute to Palestine
DUBAI: Egyptian Palestinian actress May Calamawy celebrated her birthday this week with a tribute to Palestine.
The star took to Instagram to share a picture of her cake, decorated with a doll centerpiece, colorful candles, and gold flakes. She captioned it “unhinged and reaching for the (stars),” adding star emojis, and continued with “Free Palestine” written in Arabic.
Her friends and fans quickly took to the comments section to send their well wishes to the actress.
Calamawy has been actively using her platform to advocate for and support the people of Palestine, sharing images of herself wearing the keffiyeh scarf and posting content that sheds light on the war in the region.
Last month, the actress starred in a campaign for Egyptian Canadian brand Kotn, which creates clothing made from 100% Egyptian cotton. The brand released a Fall/Winter collection titled “El Nady,” which means “the club.”
In a short skit shared on Instagram — paying tribute to co-founder Rami Helali’s childhood memories in Cairo’s iconic sporting clubs — Calamawy and her co-stars, including Canadian comedian Dave Merheje, Egyptian American comedian Kareem Rahma, Palestinian American podcaster Noor Elkhaldi and Yemeni American actress Zainab Johnson, sported jerseys that read “Nabulsi Soap,” styled with pieces from the collection.
For example, Calamawy wore a knit cardigan over the jersey along with a skort, Johnson paired hers with a blazer, Rahma added a cream cardigan and Merheje accessorized with a bandana under a cap.
Calamawy is blazing a trail as one of Hollywood’s rising stars. Her breakthrough role came in 2019 as a series regular on Hulu’s Peabody-winning and Emmy-nominated comedy series “Ramy.”
The actress, who was born in Bahrain, also played the role of Layla El-Faouly in Marvel miniseries “Moon Knight.” Her dual character is the wife of Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector — an archaeologist who by season’s end had transformed into the superhero Scarlet Scarab.
Calamawy previously told Arab News that acting alongside Isaac and Ethan Hawke was “intimidating, like, really intimidating at first.”
She explained: “Once I got to know them, I would be, like, ‘Guys I’m intimidated,’ and that helped. After a while you don’t care anymore and its fun because I got to have a masterclass with the best.”
