What a lovely evening yesterday was, meeting with 8 artists from Bahrain who are currently visiting London and the UK art scene with the British Council.
Maryam Al Noaimi, May Al Alawi, Mahmood Haider, Ali Hussain Merza, Ali Al Bazzaz, Zainab Darwish, Jaffar Al Oraibi and Naji Swar are artists representing the arts from Bahrain.
Gathering all together around food, it was delightful to get to know the artists, their work and their perspectives.
Each artist has his own approach to art and medium that he or she uses.
Many of them expressed that they are sharing their emotion into their artworks and showcasing their life in Bahrain through fine art or video work and installation.
Most of the artists' artworks are available to view online, check out below the artists biography and some of their work.
Artists play an important role in society, helping us to understand emotions, discover aspects of life we may or may not notice and showcase their environment.
Through cultural exchanges and unions, understanding and empathy can occur.
Art is a tool that can be used to unite people together, a visual language that may bridge the language barrier and bring countries together.
Such as this initiative by the British Council, Rehana Mughal, Susan Hay and Rohan Stephens from the British Council, who are encouraging cultural exchanges and bringing artists and art practitioners together to forge cultural ties.
The artists below are passionate about art, proving that art as a visual language can travel and unite.
Maryam Al Noaimi, May Al Alawi, Mahmood Haider, Ali Hussain Merza, Ali Al Bazzaz, Zainab Darwish, Jaffar Al Oraibi and Naji Swar are artists representing the arts from Bahrain.
Gathering all together around food, it was delightful to get to know the artists, their work and their perspectives.
Each artist has his own approach to art and medium that he or she uses.
Many of them expressed that they are sharing their emotion into their artworks and showcasing their life in Bahrain through fine art or video work and installation.
Most of the artists' artworks are available to view online, check out below the artists biography and some of their work.
Artists play an important role in society, helping us to understand emotions, discover aspects of life we may or may not notice and showcase their environment.
Through cultural exchanges and unions, understanding and empathy can occur.
Art is a tool that can be used to unite people together, a visual language that may bridge the language barrier and bring countries together.
Such as this initiative by the British Council, Rehana Mughal, Susan Hay and Rohan Stephens from the British Council, who are encouraging cultural exchanges and bringing artists and art practitioners together to forge cultural ties.
The artists below are passionate about art, proving that art as a visual language can travel and unite.
Ali Al Bazzaz is a painter, calligrapher, and cartoonist. He practices and teaches Arabic calligraphy and fine arts and he was a cartoonist with Al-Ayam Newspaper from 2005-2011.
Ali is also the owner and founder of Mashq Art Space; a lively, collaborative art space and gallery, hosting art classes, exhibitions and exciting cultural and artistic events since 2015.
Ali aims for Mashq to nurture and grow artists in Bahrain and allow them to connect and build themselves as a community.
www.instagram.com/bazzaz32/?hl=en
Ali is also the owner and founder of Mashq Art Space; a lively, collaborative art space and gallery, hosting art classes, exhibitions and exciting cultural and artistic events since 2015.
Ali aims for Mashq to nurture and grow artists in Bahrain and allow them to connect and build themselves as a community.
www.instagram.com/bazzaz32/?hl=en
Naji Swar is a self-taught artist, passionate about watercolour painting. Following his passion for water colour, Naji abandoned his profession in furniture and décor and pursued his art career.
He has been a member of the Bahrain Association for Contemporary Art since 2012 and participated in an exhibition for the first time at the Bahrain Annual Fine Art Exhibition in 2012.
Naji enjoys artistic experiments and using new material. He also enjoys sharing his experiences with others, and artistic exchange. He has been teaching watercolour painting classes at Mashq Art Space since 2016.
www.instagram.com/najiswar_art/?hl=en
He has been a member of the Bahrain Association for Contemporary Art since 2012 and participated in an exhibition for the first time at the Bahrain Annual Fine Art Exhibition in 2012.
Naji enjoys artistic experiments and using new material. He also enjoys sharing his experiences with others, and artistic exchange. He has been teaching watercolour painting classes at Mashq Art Space since 2016.
www.instagram.com/najiswar_art/?hl=en
Jaffar Al Oraibi is a painter and works mostly in oil on canvas. Featuring towering male figures and an array of animals, his large canvases explore issues relating to social pressures and gender expectations. With a fluid and gestural technique and dominant use of black, often representations of animals in the work refer to human characteristics and behaviours that highlight the tension between self and other, as well as the feeling of alienation between the individual and the group.
His works are a strong voice in Bahrain's art world. His exhibition "The Man" at Al Riwaq Art Space in 2010 brought the artist to wider attention, followed by two shows at Cuadro Art Gallery (Dubai, UAE) in 2011and 2012. Jaffar Al Oreibi has participated in international artist residencies in Paris, London and New York.
www.instagram.com/jaffar_aloraibi/?hl=en
His works are a strong voice in Bahrain's art world. His exhibition "The Man" at Al Riwaq Art Space in 2010 brought the artist to wider attention, followed by two shows at Cuadro Art Gallery (Dubai, UAE) in 2011and 2012. Jaffar Al Oreibi has participated in international artist residencies in Paris, London and New York.
www.instagram.com/jaffar_aloraibi/?hl=en
Zainab Darwish is an experimental artist, who has worked with charcoal, natural paint and mixed media. She is very keen on challenging herself and her abilities through using new materials, paints and techniques. Zainab's art practice began as a form of self-expression, until it grew to be a big part of her identity and a daily practice.
Zainab has participated in various local exhibitions and youth initiatives, including Tea Al Shabab, 2015, the Synchronisation of Days 2016, and Grace Notes 2017.
www.instagram.com/zdarawsha/?hl=en
Zainab has participated in various local exhibitions and youth initiatives, including Tea Al Shabab, 2015, the Synchronisation of Days 2016, and Grace Notes 2017.
www.instagram.com/zdarawsha/?hl=en
Ali Hussein Merza is an artist and theatrical scenographer from Bahrain. He studied theatre and earned a Bachelor's Degree (with Honors) in Scenic Design from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kuwait in 2010. Following his formal academic studies, he decided to focus his energy on the youth and conducted numerous workshops and events that revolve around children's art.
His passion for fine art and theatre inspired him to research/experiment in his works. He utilised open spaces as avenues to express the ideas/issues that he wishes to reflect upon and discuss in a different way. Ali views installation artwork as being akin to breaking away from the confines of the theatre's stage. He replaces the actor with the spectator, who is often considered to be a part of the work. It is here that the artist finds himself, stuck somewhere in the area between two worlds: fine art and theatre.
Ali participated in many exhibitions and theatrical showcases in Bahrain and abroad. He won a number of awards and most recently, Ali was the recipient of the Dana prize at the 44th annual Bahrain fine arts exhibition in 2018, the most prestigious award in Bahrain.
www.instagram.com/ali4art/?hl=en
His passion for fine art and theatre inspired him to research/experiment in his works. He utilised open spaces as avenues to express the ideas/issues that he wishes to reflect upon and discuss in a different way. Ali views installation artwork as being akin to breaking away from the confines of the theatre's stage. He replaces the actor with the spectator, who is often considered to be a part of the work. It is here that the artist finds himself, stuck somewhere in the area between two worlds: fine art and theatre.
Ali participated in many exhibitions and theatrical showcases in Bahrain and abroad. He won a number of awards and most recently, Ali was the recipient of the Dana prize at the 44th annual Bahrain fine arts exhibition in 2018, the most prestigious award in Bahrain.
www.instagram.com/ali4art/?hl=en
Mahmood Haider is a portrait artist and cartoonist who has inherited his passion for the arts from his family, who are all practicing different art forms. He started painting from the age of six and hasn't stopped since.
Mahmood has a bachelors' degree in Fine Arts from Kuwait, 2002 and currently works as an art teacher the Ministry of Education and as well as delivers specialised art classes with local studios like Mashq.
Mahmood particularly enjoys portraying Bahrain's nature and heritage using acrylic and watercolours, and he has also been doing caricatures since 2004. He is currently preparing an exhibition on Bahraini heritage.
Mahmood has a bachelors' degree in Fine Arts from Kuwait, 2002 and currently works as an art teacher the Ministry of Education and as well as delivers specialised art classes with local studios like Mashq.
Mahmood particularly enjoys portraying Bahrain's nature and heritage using acrylic and watercolours, and he has also been doing caricatures since 2004. He is currently preparing an exhibition on Bahraini heritage.
May Al Alawi has a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts in Baghdad, Iraq and has been teaching art in Ministry of Education schools for the past 15 years.
She is a founding member of "Cup of Art" Group and an administration member of "Be an Artist".
May has participated in many local exhibitions, more recently Symposium Dar Al Fan 2017 and Bahrain International Art Forum and Exhibition 2018.
May enjoys the process creation as well as observing other artists' work. She is also very passionate about inspiring youth/her students to explore and learn through the arts, art history and the process of making.
www.instagram.com/mayalalawie/?hl=en
She is a founding member of "Cup of Art" Group and an administration member of "Be an Artist".
May has participated in many local exhibitions, more recently Symposium Dar Al Fan 2017 and Bahrain International Art Forum and Exhibition 2018.
May enjoys the process creation as well as observing other artists' work. She is also very passionate about inspiring youth/her students to explore and learn through the arts, art history and the process of making.
www.instagram.com/mayalalawie/?hl=en
Maryam Al Noaimi did her Masters in Urban Design at the University of Colorado, and her Bachelors in Interior Design at the University of Bahrain. She is interested in the relationship between the human-being and the place, how each is affecting the other and influencing culture, identity and environment. Her artwork includes installation and videography serving as a platform to explore, question and create a dialogue within oneself and with others.
Maryam believes that working on art projects helps in creating a platform to explore, question, and create a dialogue within oneself and with others.
www.instagram.com/maralnoaimi/?hl=en
Maryam believes that working on art projects helps in creating a platform to explore, question, and create a dialogue within oneself and with others.
www.instagram.com/maralnoaimi/?hl=en
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