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

Nourie Flayan – Lebanese Artist-Illustrator. Global Brand Collaborator

Nourie Flayan. Artist. Illustrator. Story teller. Influencer.

First Middle Eastern Artist to collaborate with Gucci – Gucci Beauty

  • Collaborated with Italian Luxury Label Gucci -, Gucci Beauty for artworks (2020)
  • Collaborted with US Luxury Fashion House Carolina Herrera on a set of Eid Al-Fitr illustrations (2021)
  • Collaborated with LA based fashion label ‘House of Aama’ on a tote bag that honours women
  • Collaborated with Native Threads Collective to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021
  • Collaborated with Emirati Jewellery brand MKS Jewellery for their Here To Listen series

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pix: abouther.com /

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LEBANON