Kindred spirits

A FAMILY of talented artists have displayed their colourful works at the Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition, each in their own style and medium, writes Zainab Almahdi.

Professional creatives Omar Al Rashid, Fatima Al Jamea and their daughter Rawan Al Hosani have previously participated in art shows together, but this is the first time the three of them have been selected to showcase their works at the annual expo.

The 50th edition of the yearly fine arts show, organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, opened at the Bahrain National Museum last week.

The parents-daughter team is among 69 artists featured at the event, which has several exhibits offering a retrospective look at the last half-a-century of Bahraini art.

Following the show’s nostalgic theme, Omar’s artwork consists of three, large mixed-media paintings about flyposting as he remembers it as a student in Cairo in the 80s.

Fatima has used antique materials to create intricate collage pieces exploring light and shadow, while Rawan’s entry is a mesmerising, immersive surrealist 3D-animated video experience.

“It’s an indescribable feeling to see my artistic family and I participate in the annual exhibition,” Omar told GulfWeekly.

“We use these works to reflect our unique experiences, each in our own style, be it via video, paper or painting.”

He said people often ask him how the trio managed to be involved in art at the same time, and explained that it is thanks to their constant discussions and sharing of ideas.

In fact, art is what brought Fatima and Omar together, having met at an art gathering in the 90s.

“It’s beautiful to see our daughter participate in the annual exhibition - it’s like a continuation of our artistic journeys,” Fatima said.

“My hobby of art is a way for me to spend time with my family, and criticism of each other’s works helps us improve and evolve.”

Omar’s three paintings titled A Day From My Life, Cairo and Bombay explore the practice of flyposting, which is sticking adverts on the wall using glue.

Faded posters of old Egyptian and Indian movies are featured in the piece, on which the former Bahrain Arts Society vice-president added paint, drawings and scribbles.

“I took inspiration from things left behind on walls, like the remnants of film posters, publications and flyers which I noticed a lot as a university student in Egypt,” he said.

“Flyers are stuck on top of each other, and what caught my eye is that sometimes, there are decades-old posters still remaining on the wall.”

Omar said he aimed to give his canvas the same texture and feel of an old wall, including the colour scheme, themes, faded items and nails.

Meanwhile, Fatima’s pieces Moonrise and Bright Waves also made use of collage, but look very different from her husband’s art.

Using paper that she took from books older than 50 years old, Fatima said that she carefully cut every piece by hand and meticulously layered them to give the effect she was going for.

“I placed the papers depending on their colour and shape, intending to make a three-dimensional piece,” she said, adding that it took her three weeks of ‘diligent work’.

“The beauty of colour and the shadow cast on the surface give the pieces a deeper meaning, and the process of placing and sticking each piece with care takes a long time to get right.”

She explained that Moonrise depicts how light reflects off the sea when the moon first comes out, scattering rays of light ‘to form a captivating scene’.

As for Bright Waves, she used coloured paper to represent dawn, its reflection on the sea, and how the hues and waves dance together.

Away from her parents’ use of traditional media, Rawan’s medium of choice was 3D-animated video, utilising modern computer-generated imagery and sound design.

Her two-and-a-half-minute film titled Secrets of the Desert is displayed in a small, dark room at the exhibition, and the video’s sounds and imagery envelop the viewer.

The video depicts the sands of a desert dancing to a strong and increasingly emotional beat and music, transforming into physically impossible shapes and forms.

The work draws on Rawan’s experience as a character effects artist in children’s television shows and movies but is very different from the whimsical cartoon animations she works on.

“It might be unusual to have three family members in one exhibition, but to me it’s my everyday life,” Rawan added. “It feels like a piece of home in a public space. It’s hard to be nervous, I feel so much at ease.”

The Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition is open to visitors every day except Tuesday between 8am and 8pm, free of charge, until the end of April.