All photos courtesy of Abdulhameed Shamandour
On a bright and sunny Thursday morning, approximately 30 to 40 of us (including children) gathered at the beautiful art gallery of Safeya Binzagr.
The artist herself left one of her ongoing projects and came down to show us her collection. She explained how she set out to relay the history of Saudi Arabia in general, and the Hijaz in particular, not with pen and paper, but with her brush and paint (and in fact many other art tools). Individual paintings show scenes of daily life in the region such as children playing with marbles or women meeting for tea.
But certain halls have series' of paintings outlining wedding preparations from start to finish, for example. One hall is dedicated to the various wedding costumes of Arabia and in another, the actual costumes are displayed.
The artist has showcased her life's work in acrylics, watercolours, oils, pastels, inks and more of the culture, history, architecture and daily life of this region. She discussed and answered questions about her work and the background of certain pieces. What a joy to attain this kind of information from the talented artist herself. Ma sha Allah!
The gallery is open to all on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 8:30 pm. It also houses a small gift shop where prints, books and note cards can be purchased. You may read a brief biography of the artist here and have a look at the gallery too.
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