Embrace nature

A Bahrain-based creative is hoping to spread his love for nature through art and is currently hosting workshops for aspiring artists on the island.

Egyptian interior designer and painter Mustafa Abobakr is passionate about bringing landscapes alive, which according to him comes from his experience growing up in his hometown, surrounded by nature.

“I grew up next to a river, so all my visual memory consists of greenery, landscapes and the Nile,” the 38-year-old told GulfWeekly.

“I believe your surroundings, as you grow up, shape who you are as a person and I think if I were born near a desert, for example, I would be a different person and would have had different influences. Growing up around bodies of water and greenery has turned me into a calm person,” he said.

Mustafa strongly believes nature can positively impact the human mind and soul.

“I believe every house in Bahrain needs a green painting because the colour makes a huge difference to one’s wellbeing and regulates their emotions, just like how looking at nature in real life does. That’s what I hope people feel when they look at a painting I made,” the Adliya resident added.

The creative talent also finds inspiration in paintings from the renaissance era and says the details and techniques in ‘such divine art’ never fail to fascinate him.

“I frequent Italy to surround myself with renaissance art, specifically the Vatican museum,” he said.

“I spend around five to six hours studying its corners and pieces. I admire the colouring techniques and mediums and the amazing artists from that era, such as Leonardo Da Vinci.

“One renaissance technique I apply is the ‘skies’ in which an artist does around two to 20 exercise sketches and paintings before embarking on the final piece.

“If you search about Mona Lisa, for example, there are around 10 to 20 copies of the painting by Leonardo that were done for the purpose of exercise, but the final one is the one we see in the Louvre. I keep sketching until I’m around 60 per cent to 70pc confident,” he explained.

The landscape artist has been passionate about art since childhood, however his family wanted him to pursue a degree in engineering.

“So I settled for something in between, which is interior design,” the Minia University graduate added.

A member of the Egyptian Fine Arts Syndicate and Bahrain Contemporary Art Association, Mustafa is currently conducting acrylic on canvas workshop and a furniture design course, both at Art Concept gallery in Andalus Garden.

Mustafa moved to Bahrain for work 15 years ago.

“I was working on projects with Saudi companies after I graduated and eventually came to Bahrain. I fell in love with the country and made a lot of good friends and so I moved here,” he said.

A fan of classical art, he calls the lovely country a ‘home away from home’.

Mustafa has been conducting art and design sessions for children and adults over the last nine years. He also hosts acrylic painting workshops and believes ‘everybody is an artist’.

“I want everyone to join art classes and I believe it’s good for our well-being. We are constantly busy on our phones and social media. It’s important to put your phone aside and reflect your feelings on a painting. Everybody can do it, all you need is to find the best medium and artistic direction, whatever makes you comfortable, and not think about others’ judgement,” he added.

For more details on the artist and workshops, follow @artconceptbh and @mbakrart on Instagram.