Saleh Fareed

JEDDAH: In honor of Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day, 20 female artists from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Yemen came together to show their love and appreciation of the Kingdom through the medium of art.

The exhibition, “Saudi Arabia in their Eyes,” was held at the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts and was inaugurated by former director general of the Ministry of Culture and Information in Makkah region and Mohammed Al-Subaih, director of SASCA.

The event attracted crowds who witnessed artworks documenting the heritage of Saudi Arabia and the loyalty of the international artists to their second home.

Speaking to Arab News, the exhibition curator, Moona Mohammed, said that the event aimed to express “love through an actual interpretation of belonging to Saudi Arabia.”

She said: “We are much honored to be invited by the esteemed Saudi Arabian Society for Arts and Culture to display our talents for the occasion of Saudi Founding Day. This gives us immense pleasure to be able to express our love and dedication and appreciation for this country we call a home, away from our homes. We are thankful to Saudi Arabia and its people for letting us be a part of their country and lives and for giving us opportunities in their visions and development of this great land.”

Moona, from India, has been living in the Kingdom for ten years. “And on this opportunity we would like to take a chance to represent Saudi Arabia through our eyes as an artist, we are thankful to Allah for the bountiful lives we have spent here,” she said.

Honorable guest, Saud Al-Shiekhi, said: “It is a great initiative from those expatriates to show their love to this country through their creative art works. Art does not know a homeland, nor a nationality, nor a color, but the real artist is the one who can bring out what is inside him.”

“What I saw today is a fine art comparable to international works.”

Artist Rehan Aziz, who is of Indian heritage, completed a drawing for the crown prince, Vision 2030 and famous landscapes from various parts of the Kingdom, and said the painting was an expression of her love of the country, adding that it featured the culture and heritage of Saudi Arabia.

Asked why she was doing this for Saudi Arabia, the 22-year-old artist said: “Because I was born here, I love this country, love the people and wish to live here forever.”

Inspired by the Saudi airshow during the celebration of the national day, 13-year-old Alyza Khan participated with a painting of a Saudi Arabian Airline aircraft. Her father, Captain Mohammed Tariq Khan, who has worked for Saudi Arabia Airlines as a pilot for the past ten years, said: “My daughter loves to go the Corniche to watch the Saudi Air Show and she is looking forward to make more paintings about Saudi Arabia that we as a family love.”