Female expatriate artists mark Saudi Founding Day with impressive show

Saudi Founding Day

by Abdul Rahman M. Baig.

JEDDAH – To mark the Founding Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, about 20 female artists from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and Yemen came together to show their love and appreciation of the Kingdom through the medium of art.

The exhibition dubbed “Saudi Arabia in their Eyes” held at the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts (SASCA) was inaugurated by Saud Al-Shiekhi, former director-general of the Ministry of Culture and Information in Makkah region, and Mohammed Al-Subaih, director of SASCA.

The event attracted hundreds of art lovers and enthusiasts who witnessed artworks documenting the heritage of Saudi Arabia and the loyalty of the international artists to their second home.

The exhibition curator, Moona Mohammed, said that the event was an expression of “love through an actual interpretation of belonging to Saudi Arabia.” She extended her appreciation to Ahmed Al Khazmari, Omer Nahdi, Hussein Alvi, Salwa Hajar, Sahar Enani, Ayman for their full support and guidance in organizing the art exhibition

She said “We are very much honored to be invited by the esteemed Saudi Arabian Society for Arts and Culture to display our talent on the occasion of Saudi Founding Day. This gives us immense pleasure to be able to express our love and dedication and appreciation for this country we call home, away from our homes. We are thankful to Saudi Arabia and its people for letting us be part of their country and lives and for giving us opportunities in their visions and development of this great land.”

Moona hails from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad and has been living in the Kingdom for a decade. “And on this opportunity, we would like to take a chance to represent Saudi Arabia through our eyes as an artist. We are thankful to Allah for the bountiful lives we have spent here,” she said.

Honorable guest, Saud Al-Shiekhi, said “It is a great initiative from the expatriates to show their love for this country through their creative artworks. Art does not know a homeland, neither nationality nor a color. A real artist is the one who can bring out what is inside him.” What I saw today is a fine art comparable to international works.” He further said If these artists participate in international art exhibitions, he was quite confident that they will win huge prizes.

Artist Rehan Aziz, an Indian origin, presented a drawing of the crown prince, vision 2030, and famous landscapes from various parts of the Kingdom and said the painting was an expression of her love of the country, adding that it featured the culture and heritage of Saudi Arabia.

Asked why she was doing this for Saudi Arabia, the 22-year-old artist said: “Because I was born here, I love this country, love the people, and wish to live here forever.”

Inspired by the Saudi air show during the celebration of the National Day, 13-year-old Alyza Khan participated with a painting of a Saudi Arabian Airline aircraft. Her father, Captain Mohammed Tariq Khan, who has been with Saudi Arabia Airlines as a pilot for the past ten years, said “My daughter loves to go to the Corniche to watch the Saudi Air Show and she is looking forward to making more paintings about Saudi Arabia that we as a family love.”