Tag: Arab Women Artists

SAUDI ARABIA : Tributes paid to Safeya Binzagr, the ‘mother of Saudi art

Safeya Binzagr helped bridge the cultural link between Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Katakura Kunio, the former Japanese ambassador to Egypt, Iraq, and the UAE, has paid tribute to Safeya Binzagr, who passed away last week, emphasizing the profound impact of her contributions to enhancing Japan’s cultural ties with Saudi Arabia.

Binzagr, known as the “mother” of Saudi Arabia’s fine art movement and a symbol of Vision 2030, helped bridge the cultural link between Japan and Saudi Arabia and was the aunt of current Saudi Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr.

Katakura, chairman of Japan’s Foundation for Desert Culture, fondly recalled Safeya’s “warm and encouraging nature” toward him and his late wife, Motoko.

“Her support was instrumental in Motoko’s cultural anthropological fieldwork in Wadi Fatima,” he said. “She always welcomed the foundation’s follow-up missions with open arms, fostering a deep and personal connection with us.”

Katakura said Binzagr was not only a gifted artist whose work inspired many but also a cherished friend and mentor. Her passion for creativity and dedication to her paintings left an indelible mark, and her artistic legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

Ambassador Binzagr commented: “Building a cultural bridge is the core for creating a distinguished future between two countries and I strive, as an ambassador, to support this because it creates an opportunity for common interests to rise to a common outlook and mutually supportive values.

“The mission carried out by my late aunt will continue (in) the making of a new era. She was one of the pillars that paved the way for this through her dedication to building and promoting the culture of the arts for future generations. The Kingdom considers her the mother of the cultural heritage of creative fine arts.”

The ambassador said there are ongoing efforts to further collaboration between Japan’s Foundation for Desert Culture and prominent foundations in the Kingdom to build upon the cultural ties between the two countries.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Late Safeya Binzagr and Professor Katakura. (National Museum of Ethnology, Japan & Kanakawa Foundation)

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SAUDI ARABIA

SYRIA: Young Artist Lama Zakaria Enters Guinness World Records with ‘Largest Mandala’ in the World

Syrian young artist, Lama Zakaria has recently achieved the first world record in the Guinness World Records for the largest display of mandala in the world, raising the name of Syria high and proving once again the ability of Syrian youth to excel in various scientific and artistic fields.

Lama told SANA’s reporter that she spent two years of continuous and diligent effort for reaching this stage, stressing that she worked with precision and patience to achieve the required symmetry in her painting, which achieved the record for the largest painting of mandala in the world.

She added that the mandala contains 4096 mandala circles of various diameters, colors and various decorations by using special dotting tools and acrylic paints on a 6 mm-thick wooden board.

She pointed out that the painting with dimensions 488 x 488 cm contains a large number of circles overlapping with each other and free circles with flowing lines that enhance cohesion among them.

Zakaria noted that in each quarter of the painting forms a part of a major basic circle that is the center of the painting and its eye-attracting heart, which required work carefully on all colors and various decorative units.

Lama Zakaria, a third-year student at the Faculty of Architecture at al-Baath University, has sought to specialize in mandalas, as she worked individually to learn the origins of this art and master its methods, and participated in several art exhibitions.

source/content: sana.sy (headline edited)

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Actress Lama Zakaria – Photo from Lama’s official Instagram page

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SYRIA

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Artist Lulwah Al-Hammoud Designs Iconic Round Table Shared by World Leaders at GCC summit

An iconic table shared by Gulf Cooperation Council leaders at a recent summit was designed by a Saudi artist.

Lulwah Al-Hammoud produced the drawings for the item of furniture that took center stage at the meeting of GCC member states Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar, along with representatives of Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.

She told Arab News of her pride and thrill at seeing the table being used by the organization’s leaders. Its design was inspired by the changes taking place in Saudi Arabia and her commission brief had been, “we are entering a new era, but we are not forgetting about our traditions.”

After accepting the design challenge, Al-Hammoud was initially nervous because she was not a furniture designer, however it turned out to be “a very beautiful experience.” And her background in Islamic contemporary art and calligraphy helped.

The round table is made of wood and in its center are triangles of different color tones of wood that rotate outwards with lines made of copper, a metal, she noted, not often used in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hammoud pointed out that she opted for triangles in her design because the shape was common in traditional Saudi architecture.

She said: “The triangle can also be modern and universal, but at the same time I wanted to capture growth and the act of evolving.”

The idea behind the design was to create something that represented, “the vision of Saudi Arabia while staying true to our roots,” she added.

One of the challenges for Al-Hammoud was to create a round table that could seat different numbers of people.

“It can be odd or even, so the design had to be smart. It took me a while to figure out how to do that. With guidance, I was able to work it out.

“I am really happy, because for a table like that they could have easily gone to the best furniture designers in the world, but they chose to believe in a local talent.”

Al-Hammoud has nine solo exhibitions to her name, with some of her artworks displayed at The British Museum, the Jeju National Museum in South Korea, the Greenbox Museum of Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia in the Netherlands, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The UAE-based Barjeel Art Foundation has described Al-Hammoud as a pioneer in Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art movement.

She said: “I take art very seriously; I feel like it is a very important tool for education. It’s a window to tell people about who we are, it gives the true story of a certain civilization.”

She fell in love with Islamic art while conducting research on the topic and was fascinated by the philosophies and sciences behind each shape.

“My art has always had spiritual elements; it doesn’t talk about the moments I live in or the space I occupy. I speak about a higher dimension, spirituality, my place in the bigger scheme of things, and my connection to God,” she added.

source: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Lulwah Al-Hammoud said that she opted for triangles in her design because the shape was common in traditional Saudi architecture. (AN Photo)

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SAUDI ARABIA

Female Arab Illustrator and Digital Artist, Bayan Yassin, Saudi Arabia

Bayan Yassin. Female Artist. Writer.

Bayan Yassin, 27-year-old conceptual artist and writer, illustrates the Saudi culture, heritage in her work.

Each of her artworks embodies the deep emotional side of the Saudi community’s daily life, interpreted into a magical swirl of artistry portraying characters, events and stories.

Yassin illustrated the full series of the Saudi children book “Habib the Camel,” where she created the two main characters. “I am so proud and happy to see my characters turning into dolls.”


Yassin is currently working collaboration with Dar Waraqa, a creative publishing house based in Saudi Arabia, on a book about how to have a strong heart and face one’s fear.


She is also working on a new board game and three children’s books.

Each of her artworks embodies the deep emotional side of the Saudi community’s daily life, interpreted into a magical swirl of artistry portraying characters, events and stories. (Supplied) / pix: arabnews.com

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bayan Yassin showcased her art gallery at Medd cafe in Jeddah.  

• One of her artworks was displayed on a 36-floor skyscraper in Dubai Festival City.  

• She participated in national shows between 2005 and 2011.  

• She worked on many projects for the Saudi public sector, including a story for King Khalid Foundation and a children’s book about the Saudi customs titled ‘The Customs Champion.’

• Yassin sells her posters via her Instagram page @unique.beno, represented by @radishhouseagency, and will soon have an online shop to display all her artwork.

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Yassin sells her posters via her Instagram page @unique.beno, represented by @radishhouseagency, and will soon have an online shop to display all her artwork.
She is also planning several workshops about enhancing art through the use of color.

source/content: arabnews.com

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In my art, you will see family warmth, love, and devotion presented as these are the daily treasures that I am fond of and that feed my inspiration. / Bayan Yassin / pix: arabnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA