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A RETIRED literature lover is refashioning her love for books and art to create unique pieces, crafted from her storied collection of accessories.
Bahraini Layla Al Bassam has unveiled her first solo exhibition, The Art of Collage, where she adds a new dimension to old magazines and books with beautiful hand-crafted jewellery.
“My passion for collages really came alive after my second battle with cancer,” the 69-year-old Bahraini told GulfWeekly.
“It prompted me to rest, take life a bit slower, and focus on art as a therapeutic tool.
“Although I have always had an eye for style and good sense of taste, this art form has helped me turn forgotten relics around the house into unforgettable and unique artworks.”
Organised under the patronage of Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the exhibition continues until Sunday, January 30, at the Bahrain Young Ladies Association in Gudaibiya.
Featuring more than 180 pieces, the collection is an homage to Arab culture and its various offshoots, encapsulating magazines and books of years past into time capsules adorned with jewellery designed by Layla.
In some pieces, the jewellery connects organically with the photo behind it – for example, a gold pendant with coral inlay at the end of the photo of a regal-looking necklace.
Others are more thematically and aesthetically entwined. One beautiful piece has a striking image of a model partly hidden behind a moth-eaten rug, set against a coral-and-silver necklace.
“In these works I have used some pieces I have had for more than 40 years, and building collages gave me an opportunity to recycle and upcycle these, while sharing my passion with the world,” Layla added, as she led a tour of the exhibition.
Other pieces, including some jewellery, have been handcrafted by Layla, who has been managing bookshops for much of her professional life.
Microcosms of cultures across the region are captured and will stand out to those with an affinity for the region’s history.
A set of square plaques, for example, uses old tea burlap sacks as the background to highlight hand-designed symbolic squares adorned with Bahraini natural pearls.
Repurposing the old for the new is a theme that flows throughout the exhibition. At one point, Layla came across a ‘mashrabiya’ – a wooden window used in traditional Bahraini homes – in her garage.
Instead of throwing them away, she built unique seats out of them, which celebrated Bahrain’s old architecture and its coffee shop culture.
Nostalgia drives from the back seat in another set of old Bahraini photographs, which accentuate exquisitely designed earrings, necklaces and broaches.
The backgrounds of some of these pieces are as invaluable as the precious jewellery mounted on top, as visitors can read pages from long-forgotten periodicals and publications, while they enjoy her added touches.
“I have been creating collages for more than three years now, and especially during the pandemic, it gave me more time to work on this collection,” Layla noted.
“I was blessed to inherit my mother’s good taste which I channelled into our home for much of my life and now I found a new outlet for it.
“My husband and my three daughters were astounded by the number of pieces I ended up creating, especially during the pandemic, but for me, it was just something fun and relaxing to do.
“And for the exhibition, my three decades of volunteering with the Bahrain Young Ladies Association proved invaluable as I paid attention to every detail of every art piece on display here.”
While much of the collection is a walk down memory lane, Layla also chose to send a bold and blunt message with some pieces, especially when it came to fashion.
A very dark piece showing a doll in traditional Palestinian attire being hung with a noose is her reflection on how certain cultures can be appropriated and later, wiped out.
The exhibition is open every day, except on Fridays, from 9am to 3pm, and is sure to spark nostalgia and inspiration even amongst those who do not consider themselves art aficionados.
For details, follow @houseofmashrabeya on Instagram.
