Latest news with #BaladAlFann
Arab News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Saudi artist rolls forward with bamboo paper
JEDDAH: Saudi artist Jumanah Telity has found an unusual medium for her creativity: bamboo paper. Through a labor-intensive process she transforms it into sturdy objects, from baskets and storage boxes to small-scale furniture and figurines. 'This art, like any other art, requires specific techniques, sense, and artistic thought to produce creativity,' she told Arab News. 'It differs from other arts in that it is a very strong and practical product that is used daily and also decoratively.' Originally an educator, Telity spent 19 years in schools, eventually serving as a principal. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to explore her long-time fascination with natural materials such as wood, bamboo, and rattan. That is when she discovered bamboo paper weaving online and something clicked. • In 2020, Saudi artist Jumanah Telity decided to explore her long-time fascination with natural materials such as wood, bamboo, and rattan. • She recently displayed her work at Balad Al-Fann in Jeddah's historic district. 'It strangely attracted me. I felt like I found my passion here because it really appealed to me,' she said. Telity says the method involves tightly rolling paper into sticks using a special needle. It is then woven into shape. 'It begins with choosing the type of paper, its size, and the way it is cut,' she said. 'After trying this art, you'll be amazed at the strength of these products and how they can be washed with soap and water without being affected.' She describes the art as eco-conscious because of the recycling involved in the process. To hone her craft, Telity enrolled in intensive online courses specializing in the technique. 'I found what I was looking for,' she said. 'The study was online, intensive, daily, and very precise in how to teach and train step by step.' Now among the first Saudi artists to specialize in this form of bamboo art, she credits the Kingdom's growing cultural landscape for supporting artists exploring niche and rare forms of expression. 'This type of art is considered one of the rarest arts in the world,' she added. 'It requires precise skills and a deep understanding of transforming paper into a wood-like material.' Telity recently displayed her work at Balad Al-Fann in Jeddah's historic district. She was struck by how strongly the art resonated with visitors. 'I noticed people's amazement and admiration for this art and how they were attracted by the type of art, method of weaving and the strength and ability to withstand external factors,' she said. She now plans to hold workshops to pass on her skills, with the goal of eventually becoming a certified trainer. With growing interest from aspiring crafters and a renewed push for cultural innovation across Saudi Arabia, Telity believes the future of this art form is bright.
Arab News
29-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Arab News
Balad Al-Fann brings Saudi art to life
JEDDAH: The second edition of the Balad Al-Fann art program has opened in Jeddah Historic District and runs until June 15. The initiative this time presents a captivating series of art exhibitions, held under the theme 'Our Storied Walls,' which celebrate memory, culture and place. It boasts a renewed focus on local narratives with each exhibition looking at the tangible and human heritage of the city. Held at Nassif Boutique, the exhibition is a tribute to the late artist Hisham Binjabi, a foundational figure in Saudi Arabia's modern art movement. Curated by Ayman Yossri Daydban, a former student of Binjabi, the exhibition blends art and memories through archival materials, selected artworks, personal possessions and rare voice recordings. Arab News spoke to Daydban, who is one of the most prominent contemporary artists in Saudi Arabia, with his works featuring in major museums and biennials. He said: 'This is a personal exhibition. My journey with Hisham Binjabi began over 35 years ago when he discovered my work, admired it, and encouraged me. 'For a whole year his name echoed in my mind, until I held my first solo exhibition in 1991. It was his encouragement and appreciation of my boldness — he said I thought outside the box — that pushed me forward. I found myself naturally drawn to contemporary art.' Daydban's art is conceptual, and rooted in ideas and meaning. Binjabi, on the other hand, remained faithful to classical and realist styles. Daydban said: 'For years we observed each other's work from afar, and every time we met I felt like a student reuniting with his mentor. 'But Hisham was more than an artist — he was a social figure, a cultural activist who managed and promoted art within the community, bringing art into social and human contexts. 'His greatest influence was not just in his paintings, but in his presence, personality, and wisdom.' The exhibition does not merely display Binjabi's artworks — it narrates his life story through them. His wife played a part by telling their story through her lens and, for the first time, her works are featured in a dedicated section alongside audio recordings of her and their daughters, reflecting on their lives together as a creative family. An audio room on the upper floor features testimonials from contemporary artists who were his students or peers, and more recordings are added daily. The exhibition unfolds across three levels: a deeply emotional audiovisual experience, a debut showcase of his wife's personal works, and a collective sonic space for shared memory and reflection. Daydban added: 'Hisham was, above all, a socially engaged artist, and this exhibit is aimed primarily at the community of Al-Balad, where he lived and left his mark.' The program also honors the late Safeya Binzagr, one of the first female visual artists in the Kingdom. Curated by Effat Fadag, the exhibition weaves together the visual and literary in a journey filled with nostalgia, history and cultural memory. The exhibition presents rare paintings, handwritten letters, and personal belongings that reflect Binzagr's unique lens on Hejazi life. Her deeply human portrayals of women, homes, attire and rituals offer not only artistic beauty but also historic insight. Titled 'Revealing What Was Hidden,' the exhibition shows how Binzagr used her art to bring the past to life. Her work helps keep Saudi culture and history alive. The event honors her role as an artist and historian, and Fadag said: 'I asked myself: What can I say that hasn't already been said? I wanted to highlight aspects of her journey that aren't widely known.' Binzagr was the first woman to publicly showcase her family and community life, giving a voice to the private lives of Saudi women — a society that was largely hidden at the time. Fadag said: 'I tried to reflect this (voice) through the layout of the exhibition, using the historic Nassif House, starting from the main building to the external annex, with three symbolic doors that narrate her story.' This journey begins with Binzagr's birth and upbringing, moves through her education, the exhibitions she held, and finally her artistic projects on Saudi traditional attire, which are featured on the second floor. Fadag said: 'In the clothing room you see very personal images — she even modeled for her work so she could better understand and express the exact details she wanted to paint. She knew exactly how to translate her vision.' The final section focuses on giving back to the community, and how Binzagr impacted learning, the broader culture and society at large. The initiative also puts the spotlight on a curated selection of winning works from a national photography competition, while Balad Al-Fann also hosts a competition showcasing traditional calligraphy, ceramics, ornamentation, and engraving.
Saudi Gazette
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Saudi Gazette
Balad Al-Fann returns to Historic Jeddah with contemporary art exhibitions
Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — The Ministry of Culture launched the second edition of the "Balad Al-Fann", which includes a series of art exhibitions held in the historic Jeddah area. The event will continue until June 15. The program includes a memorial exhibition for the late artist Hisham Bnjabi, titled "Memory of the City, the People, and the Nation," held at Naseef Boutique. It celebrates his artistic legacy through audio-visual archives and private collections, exhibited for the first time, documenting his artistic career and his relationship with Jeddah as a city and a memory. Naseef Boutique is hosting a memorial exhibition for the late artist Safia Binzagr, exploring the region's history through photographs, archives, and artifacts that shed light on Jeddah's social and architectural memory. The events also include a photography exhibition titled "Texture of Time" at Beit Barghouta, highlighting crafts and visual memory, an experimental exhibition of handicrafts and Arabic calligraphy using contemporary interactive methods, held at Beit Fatima Nawara, and an artist-in-residence exhibition titled "Narratives of Craft" at Beit Shuaib. The diversity of exhibitions at Balad Al Fann reflects a new creative approach to telling the local story from the heart of historic Jeddah, through the intersection of archival materials, installations, and contemporary images within spaces that respond to the identity of the place and invoke its history as a living source of inspiration. This year's exhibitions bear the theme "Stories in the Memory of the Place," which highlights the narrative nature of Jeddah's historical experiences and evokes inherited stories as essential components of the region's cultural identity, bringing together oral tradition and contemporary creative expressions. The "Balad Al Fan" initiative is part of the Ministry of Culture's efforts to revive historic Jeddah as a center for cultural production, enhance community engagement with the region's architectural and human heritage, and stimulate creativity and develop the local cultural economy by supporting talent and providing sustainable exhibition platforms within the historical area. This will achieve the goals of Vision 2030, which aims to consolidate Saudi Arabia's position on the global cultural map and develop renewable cultural platforms within its heritage sites.
