School of rock

Bahraini creative Hawra Rahma leaves no stone unturned as she breathes new life into pebbles transforming them into beautiful figurines and works of art.

Her light-hearted creations have a range of themes - a family of three expecting their second baby, a medical student graduating, a man proposing to his beloved, an aunt hugging her nephew and niece, a student gifting a bouquet of flowers to his teacher, a football player trying to score as the goal keeper defends the shot - and each stone tells a story.

“I discovered my passion for stone art in 2019 and since then, have honed my skill through trial and error,” the fine arts enthusiast told GulfWeekly.

“I began exhibiting my work in 2020 and the last four years have been a wonderful journey of learning and discovering myself as an artist.”

Fine arts are characteristically visual and appreciated mainly for their imaginative, aesthetic or intellectual content. Much like Hawra’s creations, which she fashions with different types of natural stones.

“I intend to work with a variety of precious stones soon, but I feel the idea behind the creation and how the stones are used to depict that message are what matters more than the material itself. That’s where the creativity truly comes through.

“Stone art gave me a platform to express myself in a way that I had personally never seen or heard of before. My designs are often simple, but they are also creative in that they have aesthetic value. The themes that I select also resonate with my fans on a human level,” the self-taught artist added.

Stones are often considered a symbol of cruelty and Hawra wanted to change the perception.

“I wanted to use them as a medium of expression, presenting them through distinctive artistic creations with specific ideas,” she said.

“When we visit people’s homes, we typically see paintings featuring writing, colours or Quranic verses, but never stones, which was one of the reasons I took up this project.

“When I started practicing this art form, I remember thinking that stones can speak more than the words themselves.

“I usually find myself lost for words when I try to express what’s in my heart but when I’m working with stones, I can easily convey an idea. I can make the stones speak for me and share my message and deep thoughts with the world.

“My favourite piece among the many I’ve made depicts the bond of affection and love between spouses, and anyone who sees it feels reassured, with warmth and a wonderful romantic feeling.

“The artwork has a Quranic verse printed at the bottom, which translates to ‘And He placed between you affection and mercy’. I use different Quranic verses depending on the message of the piece I’m creating,” she added.

Hawra was inspired by Bahraini artist and National Arts Council chairman Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who has played a significant role in promoting the fine arts movement in the kingdom.

“I have followed the evolution of his artistic style over the years and admire his use of shapes, colours and textures. His creations evoke vivid imagination in me as an artist,” she noted.

Hawra hopes to continue creating more stone art and further develop her style and expertise. At present she is content sharing her work through her social media platforms but is open to bigger showcases.

Hawra has participated in various exhibitions in the past, including the ones organised by Ayadi Relief since 2020.

For more details, follow @talkingstonesbh on Instagram.