of the art Kuwait exhibition by H.E. Abdul Rahman Al-Otaibi, Ambassador of Kuwait with Jamilah Al-Otaibi and Mark Zellenrath together with many guests.
By Sheila Turabaz.
A national day reception serves as the perfect occasion to showcase a country’s culture in all its glory. The Kuwaiti embassy is no exception in this regard. On the 21st of February, the embassy celebrated its National Day and Liberation Day as well as 55 years of diplomatic relations between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, or as they refer to it as “55 years of friendship”, with a rich and diverse art exhibition at the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus, where they showcased the work of 25 Kuwaiti contemporary artists.
The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the Kuwait Arts Association. The association was founded in 1967 with the aim of supporting, celebrating and promoting Kuwaiti contemporary artists worldwide. The association considers art “to be one of the most important tributaries of culture” (…) “radiating aesthetic sense and expression of the human dimensions of authentic values”. According to Abdul Rasoul Salman, President of the Kuwait Arts Association and President of the Union of Arab Arts “these endeavours (by the contemporary Kuwaiti artists) are an invitation to merge cultural heritage and sensory inspiration (…) to codify a contemporary take on the psychological and intellectual dimensions of the humans of the region (…)”.
Kuwait has the oldest contemporary art movement in the Arabian , emerging in the 1930s. It is also the first country in the Gulf area to grant art scholarships. The country’s capital, Kuwait City, is home to one of the most prominent and thriving art scenes in the Gulf area, with over 30 galleries focused on promoting local artists.
The Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Abdul Rahman Al-Otaibi’s enthusiasm and pride could be felt in the tone of his speech in which he stated that “the organization of such a cultural exhibition which highlights the role of Kuwaiti artists, will contribute positively to highlighting (the civilization) of the State of Kuwait through its cultural heritage and will enable the Dutch community to gain a positive understanding of the culture of Kuwaiti society and allow it to have a closer look at a part of Kuwait’s cultural heritage”.
Furthermore, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of organizing such an art exhibition by stating that “this will have a great effect on exchanging cultural knowledge between the artists of the two countries as well as opening new horizons for cultural cooperation in the near future” while adding that the aim is “to achieve a common understanding of the value of art in establishing human relations among peoples”.
The Kuwaiti artists who were invited to exhibit their work all made use of different materials, techniques and subjects. Lively paintings, intricate ceramic art, sculptures and impressive photographs were all put on display, offering viewers an intriguing glimpse of the Kuwaiti art scene. The creative thought process of these artists is influenced by society, the country and its people. Through a lens of their own emotions, their art is shaped and coloured accordingly.
The Embassy of Kuwait and the Kuwait Arts Association invited the following Kuwaiti contemporary artists to participate in the exhibition:
Mr. Abdulrasoul Ibrahim, Ms. Zulaikha Al-Qabandi, Ms. Amira Ashkanani, Mr. Abdullah Al-Rashed, Mr. Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Ms. Zeenab Dashti, Ms. Tahani Alkhurafi, Ms. Mai Alnour, Mr. Mahmoud Al-Qattan, Mr. Mohammad Al-Bahar, Ms. Atared Althaqeb, Ms. Jamila Salem, Ms. Hana Al-Beloushi, Ms. Hanouf Almonaifi, Ms. Basmah Al-Saif, Ms. Athar Al-Ansari, Mr. Mohammad Al-Azemi, Ms. Fatemah Ibrahim, Mr. Abdulaziz Mubarak, Mr. Jawad Al-Najjar, Ms. Muna Al-Shafei, Mr. Ali Sulaiman, Mr. Ahmad Al-Hussaini, Ms. Mona Eyadah,Mr. Yousef Ayada.
