‘Sisters of Baghdad’ art exhibition opens in Jeddah

Artwork on exhibit by Saudi contemporary artist Awdah Al-Zahrani.

JEDDAH: Hafez Gallery organized a solo art exhibition in Jeddah on Wednesday by Saudi contemporary artist Awdah Al-Zahrani, entitled Sisters of Baghdad.
Citizens and expats attended the exhibition, which depicts Al-Zahrani’s perspective of art as a heightened emotional state with a cinematographic point of view.
“Since art overtakes limits of time and space, marries facts and picture-perfect moments, my aim was to recollect moments of Baghdad anemones in the form of art that stretches beyond time like a myth, or rather, like a revolution that still has to grow,” he said.
“Since art removes the limits of geography and time, and mixes between the imaginary research and the picture’s perfection, ‘Sisters of Baghdad’ showcases a time dimension and depicts the story of survival and identity that has been there since ancient times.”
Through art, Al-Zahrani wanted to change Baghdad’s dark image and highlight how beautiful and inspiring the city is.
Qaswra Hafez, the founder of Hafez Gallery, said: “It is a great opportunity for us to exhibit the ‘Sisters of Baghdad,’ as this show lays out the ancient story and traces a subtle path to the understanding of the region. Moreover, the current turmoil in the region is quite relevant in his artwork.”
Hafez added: “It is a highly sensitive aesthetic gardening for an artist to contribute to issues and search at his highest convictions to convert it into an art form. Hafez Gallery always welcomes and supports such artists and provides a platform to them.”
The gallery, in collaboration with Art Jameel, Banafsajeel and Beydoun exhibition space, is organizing a month-long contemporary Saudi art exhibition entitled “Tadafuq,” which began on Feb. 2.