Reflections on Asian culture

Creatives from across the kingdom will be exhibiting an array of colourful artworks based on their reflections of Asia next month in a bid to showcase culture and inspire aspiring artists to take part in future events.

The Beyond Measure: Reflections of Asia, organised by FilCreatives Bahrain with support from the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH) management, will feature 42 artists from Bahrain, the Philippines, India, China, Japan, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal and Indonesia.

They will be displaying their paintings, digital art, sculptures, tapestries and other installations on the second floor of Harbour Gate, within BFH.

The event, to be held from September 18-29, is the sixth grand exhibition for the Filipino Creatives Bahrain group since its inception in 2018.

FilCreatives member Karlo Angelo Papa, who will be featuring five of his acrylic and mixed media art pieces, is thrilled to be participating again and urges others to follow suit.

“This is my third exhibit with the group,” said the 30-year-old cake designer. “It will showcase artworks featuring the best of the Asian countries that the artists are from, as well as their experiences in Bahrain.

“Every time we have an event, FilCreatives, which is held under the Philippines Embassy Bahrain, has the privilege of being supported by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ambassadors and dignitaries.

“That’s how we came up with the idea.

“This exhibit aims to showcase the outstanding craftsmanship and creativity of Bahrain-based visual artists from East and Southeast Asian countries, under one roof.

“We also hope to inspire other upcoming artists as well as develop deeper connections and camaraderie amongst the artistic community.”

Bahraini-Filipino Yasmeen Ahmed is excited to take part in ‘Beyond Measure’ as it’s her first professional art exhibition.

“I am honoured to be a part of it,” said the 19-year-old who completed her Fine Arts A-level at the British School of Bahrain in 2021 and is studying at the American University of Bahrain.

“The majority of my showcased work stems from the concept of representing Asian identity, without the surface-level physical representation of a face but through the depiction of symbols, colour and culture.”

Yasmeen, who specialises in abstract portraiture, enjoys incorporating different textures and mediums in her work to try to create depth within her paintings both physically and conceptually. All her artwork — portraits or otherwise — have themes of ‘Identity’ brushed through the canvas and mixed within the paint.

One of her most recent works is entitled First Impressions #1. It depicts a pair of koi fish in front of a mixed media background that is made up of book excerpts, torn paper, gauze and a mixture of acrylic and oil paints.

“Enchanted by Japanese and Vietnamese culture, I wanted to create something that embodied a friend without showcasing their physical features,” she explained. “At first, this was a challenge for me. I have only been fixated on portraits that depicted one’s physical identity and characteristics. However, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to explore my own take on the concept of abstract identity. 

“Each element of the showcased paintings holds a deeper meaning through the colours, media, and brushstrokes used. I find it interesting how each viewer depicts it differently. After all, the beauty of art is how it speaks differently to everyone who sees it.

“Over the years, my work has continued to grow alongside myself as an artist. I am proud of what I have created and achieved and look forward to this first step of my journey and everything else that is to come.”

Meanwhile Li Ma Bomholtz — who was born in China, grew up in Denmark and lived in West Africa for some time — is pursuing her dream of being an artist in Bahrain alongside her family.

The self-taught artist, who used to work as a safety manager in an airport in Denmark, says she is lucky to join the group of artists that are participating and is looking forward to meeting more creatives.

“I devote my work to the appreciation and admiration of God and our Mother Earth,” said Li Ma, 40, who enjoys exploring various mediums and types of arts, canvas painting, sculptures, furniture design and more. “I’m looking forward to meeting more artists and together, our exhibition will offer more insights into Asian culture.”

Artists that wish to join the exhibition can register through their embassy or email filcreativesbh@gmail.com directly.

Follow @filipinocreativesbahrain on Instagram.