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A Bahraini artist, who began drawing inside his cupboard as a child after his father told him off for scribbling on the walls of his home, is to hold his first solo exhibition at the Albareh Gallery.
Mohammed Al Madhi has a passion for painting and takes inspiration from the various colours his father used in his work as a wall painter and other memories from his childhood.
He said: "I paint whenever I feel a strong emotion like really happy or sad and all of them depict some of my earliest memories.
"When I was a little boy I met with a horrible accident with a car. It took me a whole year to recuperate. Whenever I am in a sober mood I remember it and paint on the subject."
But Mohammed, 33, a father of one from Karbabad village, said favourite subjects are animals, a theme which is obvious in his paintings with various examples of cats, dogs and birds. As a child, he was usually glued to the television set watching animal shows.
Other instances that stand out in his paintings include his wedding, his early memories of time spent with his mother and also a vision of life in paradise after death.
He expresses his true emotions through his paintings explaining moments of nostalgia, happiness and sadness.
Mohammed's talents are the outcome of self-study without any formal training. His love for art began at the very early age of four when he used to draw all over the walls of his home.
He said: "My father stopped me from using any pens or pencils and so I began to write and paint on the inside of my closet. It was my source of inspiration.
"Even when I was being punished for being naughty, I would hide in it. It was a sanctuary of sorts."
But he has come a long way since then developing his skills through the Bahrain Contemporary Art Society.
His works have been showcased at various high-profile occasions, events and institutions including the United Nations where he was one of five Bahraini artists chosen by Al Iskafi, a kingdom-based non-profit art society, to exhibit his work at the New York-based organisation.
He also received the prestigious Al Dana award which he was presented at the 34th Bahrain Annual Fine Art Exhibition in December 2007 competing with more than 50 fellow artists.
Mohammed has exhibited in collective shows across the island and twice with fellow artist Hasan Al Sari.
He has also taken part in Art Paris Abu Dhabi and Qatar and will be showing at an art exhibition in Dubai on May 17.
This, his first solo exhibition features over 25 paintings highlighting childhood and youthful memories all painted with a distinct child-like approach in acrylic on canvas and paper.
The show runs from May 19 to 26 at the Albareh Art Gallery in Adliya with opening times from 10am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm.
