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More than 50 artists came together on Bahrain’s 49th National Day to create a larger than life artistic ‘artipelago’ of the Tree of Life… comprised of 36 individual canvases.
The unique impression was spearheaded by renowned artist Abbas Almosawi and Mahdi Al Jallawi and paid homage to the archipelago of islands that make up the kingdom.
“The 36 pieces pay homage to the over 30 islands that make up Bahrain and a six by six square was easy to manage,” Abbas told the GulfWeekly during a tour of his Al Qurayyah studio.
“The Youth and Sports Affairs ministry approached us to create an impactful large painting, and we thought it would be a great way to bring together the young artists of Bahrain to create a collaborative project.
“I started by painting a single canvas of the Tree of Life, keeping in mind that each of the 36 parts should be able to stand on its own as an art piece.”
After the ‘model’ was ready, Abbas worked with Mahdi to co-ordinate artists to come together on December 16 and 17, dividing up the parts between them.
Some artists chose to do solo canvases, while others worked in teams on their piece, working well into the night on the two days to create their pieces.
Abbas and Mahdi then went through them to add a touch here and there to make sure the bigger picture wasn’t lost.
“We didn’t want them to just copy my painting,” Abbas added.
“Art is about adding your own touch, and by adding their own flair, each of the 36 paintings were unique and standalone, in their own right, which is crucial for the next step of the project.”
Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Aymen Tawfiq Almoayyed visited the artists, wandering amongst them to discuss their pieces, guided by Abbas.
Now that the project has been completed and the canvases have been stretched, each of the 36 pieces will be distributed at government offices and significant buildings across the island, much like seeds drifting from a tree to pollinate elsewhere.
“Art should be a part of our day-to-day lives, and by distributing these 36 pieces across the country, that’s what we hope to achieve,” Abbas added.
Even though the pieces are separated, they are united in their thought and creation, emblematic of the message of unity Abbas, Mahdi and the more than 50 artists wanted to convey as the country celebrated its National Day.
Creative collaborators
Abbas Almosawi , Mahdi Al Jallawi , Mohammed Sultan , Rabab Alalawy , Zainab
Yousif , Mariam Fakhro , Kawthar Alawami , Haidar Rafriy , Rawan Maki , Yasser
Aldiaihi , Amal Waleed , Adel Salem Althawadi , Mohd Alhajer , Mys Team , Noor
Aseeri , Samar Aseeri , Thayer Mahdi , Friyal Ishaq , Fareeda Darwish , Qoot Adel ,
Shahzalan Alhussaini , Ali Mubarak , Zahraa Alsenni , Zainab Ali , Hamad Almannai
Shaima Murad , Ali Fardan , Ahmed Buhameed , Yasser Aldiaihi , Hassan Mohd ,
Shaikha Alshuroqi , Isra Almarzooq , Marwa Buasali , Abdullah Alhaikey , Nahla
Ayob , Huda Jamal , Maryam Al Qassab , Jaleela Shubbar , Zuhair Beshara , Osama
Mohammed , Ali Al Dhanaba , Marwa Yasser , Mohd Altaitoon , Sara Alhassan
Ali Mahdi Ali , Marwan Abdulla , Hamad Abdulla , Hussain Milad , Fatima Salman
Ashraf Jawaheri , Deena Hussain , Mohammed Tahaa , Zahraa Ebrahim ,
Mohammed Salman , Hamad Tariq
