Dar Al Mashreq Gallery

I went to the opening of a new gallery, Dar Al Mashreq, early last week in Salhiya Complex. 

Located on the 2^nd floor, the opening was very well organized and buzzed with a mix of a young and old crowd. 

All of the artists were male, either of local or regional origins, with an impressive background of previous exhibitions held in different parts of the world. I enjoyed the variety of artwork, which ranged from sculptures to sketches and abstract paintings. Every artist had a very distinct style, but all the work was put up in a way that flowed nicely. I found most of the paintings to be very refreshing and colorful, in addition to some having a local feel.

It is refreshing to see new galleries opening up in Kuwait, as I feel they aid in promoting positive interest and appreciation for art. If you are ever in the area, I suggest taking a quick detour and giving the new gallery a visit.

Below are a few images of some of the artwork that was put up.

Dar Al Mashreq is in Salhiya Complex, Mezzanine II, Entrance 4, Shop 16.

Tel: 22996447

Open daily from 9am - 1pm & 5pm - 9pm (except Fridays)

Lalla Essaydi

I came across these beautiful photos while looking for images to display on our latest collection of "Picture Me Perfect" makeup bags. These photos are taken by Moroccan-born artist Lalla Essaydi, in which she dresses women (many of whom are family members) in traditional attire and covers them in arabic calligraphy.
The text used in the images are thoughts and experiences of the artist caught between the east and the west, the past and the present. 

Lalla Essaydi received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/TUFTS University in May 2003. She grew up in Morocco, and lived in Saudi Arabia for many years. She now lives in New York City.

FILIM: Remixed Arabia

We recently went to Sultan Gallery to see the 'FILIM: Remixed Arabia' exhibit by architect and digital artist, Jassim Al Saddah. The exhibition consisted of an adaptation of 12 of the most famed and internationally recognized movie posters of our time. A few examples include Star Wars, The Godfather, Jaws, My Fair Lady and Chicago. 

Each film poster was redesigned, where Arabic type and regional celebs were used to substitute the original text and characters. Some posters were more obvious than others, and although the exhibit was static, we found it to be quite interactive identifying the posters. We enjoyed the level of wit with each design and took pleasure in the humor behind some of the adaptations.

We also took a booklet from the exhibit which had some very interesting thoughts related to the concept behind the exhibition. We'd like to share a section from it, as it gives more insight on the work presented: The word 'remixed' used in the exhibit title refers to a new generation of posters, where the "content of the original is altered to convey political or comedic messages". Using widely recognized posters also allows the artist to speak to a larger audience with a much louder voice by the use of a single sheet.

Unfortunately the exhibit was only on for 3 days, with the last day being yesterday:  Thursday, March 31st.  To keep up to date with any events coming up in the Kuwaiti art scene, visit: www.artkuwait.org

Art Dubai: Take Two

I wanted to share with you some of the beautiful art work I got to see at Art Dubai a couple of weeks ago. 

Also, one of my favourites was a piece called "Well" by Abbas Akhavan. "Well" is part of Akhavan's ongoing research on domestic spaces and the power relations inherent in hospitality. In this piece, stacks of dishes placed, where the original water well was at House 44 (Al-Bastakiya), are converted to a fountain, though relaxing, references domestic work.

Addicted to Art

With time, I have found myself diving deeper and deeper into the world of art and being continuously fascinated by it. This year, I had the opportunity to visit one of the largest art exhibitions organized in the region - Art Dubai 2011.

The 5th annual Art Dubai is taking place in Madinat Jumeira from March 15-19, where the space has been transformed into a 'vast museum of artwork'. Over 500 artists representing 81 galleries and from 34 countries come together to share their creativity with one another and the public. In addition to the artwork, forums and workshops are also scheduled to take place throughout the four days of the event. To view the complete schedule of events, click here. 

Although Art Dubai is commercial,  the organized workshops make it educational, and forums inspirational. Art Dubai gives visitors the chance to attend talks, be part of discussions, purchase affordable art, see installations, and take an 'Art Bus' tour around Dubai. 

I think this is more than enough to know that anyone who has even a slight interest in art should not miss out on such a grand event. Art Dubai only gets bigger and better with each year, so if you were unable to attend this year, you will, without a doubt, have something finer to look forward to next year!

Typographic Beauty

One aspect of graphic design that I have a passion for is typography. I love the way you can play around with letters and experiment with different arrangements to make up a design. The number of fonts available today are endless and surprisingly, new designs continue to pop up on daily basis. This being said, not all fonts can be used for text, and some are simply aesthetically pleasing. I came across a beautifully designed typeface called Arcano, by Resistenza (Giuseppe Salerno).  The font was designed by hand, over the span of four months using Chinese ink on Japanese calligraphy paper. Something remarkable about art is that inspiration can come from just about anything and everything. In this case, Salerno claims that inspiration for the type came from nature, symbols, icons, jewels, and hand-drawn designs. 

Below is an image of a typeface experiment I did while taking a portfolio course at Central Saint Martins, London. I never went beyond designing the first part of the alphabet but hopefully one day I'll go back to it and complete the rest of the letters and symbols to make up my very own typeface.

For those who share an interest for typography - check out our Typography Playing Cards available for sale online.

Part 2 of Sultan's 50/20 Exhibition

I went to the opening of the second set of 50/20 artists at Sultan Gallery. Not all the artist were Kuwaiti this time but all the work displayed represented Kuwait in one way or another. Some examples of the work on display: the infamous 'free kuwait' logo recreated in neon lights, thus modernizing its original form;  a standard set of playing cards redesigned - where the queen and king of the suits were represented by Kuwaiti characters, and many more. 


The work will be up until the 24th of February. Gallery hours: 10am - 4pm (Closed on Fridays & Saturdays).

Part 1 of Sultan's 50/20 Exhibition

We went to the Sultan Gallery a week ago to see the first set of artists participating in the 50/20 exhibition. This exhibition was in celebration of Kuwait's 50 years of independence and 20 years of liberation. A select number of young Kuwaiti artists were invited by the Sultan Gallery and given the opportunity to superimpose their own visions of history in this exhibition commemorating 50 years of sovereignty within the State of Kuwait.

The first set of artists included: Farah Behbehani, Jassim AlSaddah, Fatima AlQadiri, Tareq Sultan.

The second set of artists will display their work on Tuesday, February 15 at the Sultan Gallery in Sabhan. The exhibition will be up until the end of the month.

Exhibition Schedule: 

February 15^th | 7-9 pm

February 16^th | 10am – 4pm & 7-9 pm

February 17^th – 24^th|10am – 4pm (Closed on Fridays & Saturdays)