Benjamin Disraeli once said: “We are not creatures of circumstances; we are creators of circumstances.” Such is the story of Helen Al-Ammari’s success as a print maker, artist and entrepreneur. Her accomplishments today were born from a desire for precision, perfection and commitment to art along with a resolve to create a niche for artistic pursuits.
Helen owns and operates the “Arabian Collections Gallery” at Rashid Mall in Alkhobar. If the tale can be told backward, she built the establishment to showcase the artwork prior to building her own reputation as an artist. She had always hoped to manage her own business and both she and her husband, Suad Al-Ammari, felt that her knowledge of picture framing and her love for art, afforded that opportunity. The idea was to offer her clients a complete and alternative service which would not only safeguard their artwork but also offer advice on the color choices and selection of frames.
A master framer was hired from the UK to train her staff; she dedicated every holiday to educating herself about preservation and conservation of art and having done her homework extremely well, opened her gallery to the public in 1994. With time her business has grown and evolved and currently operates as a venue for art exhibitions that showcases works by local, expatriate and foreign artists.
Following the inauguration of the gallery, Helen was faced with fresh challenges. Although she taught herself to paint through practice, she had never studied art. When advising people on art, she realized that she needed to know more. In 2003, “Idrak,” an art center in Alkhobar, was offering a City and Guilds Creative Studies Program so Helen enrolled in it. “I love painting, and before I took the two-year course; I could never tell why I did not like my work. The study helped me tremendously. My work improved and I gained the confidence to show my own work at the gallery.”
She describes herself as a representational artist but in a more contemporary style, capturing real images on canvas but with her own representation of colors and textures. There is rhythm and balance in her compositions. Objects are placed at different levels, juxtaposed with color and texture indicating depth and her brushstrokes instill liveliness in her images. “I like to paint what is front of me, not from photographs. I loved working with oils but have switched to acrylics because I can control them better and am able to achieve the results I am looking for. I am trying to make acrylic behave like oil by adding mediums and gels. I love using colors, textures and glazes and I use as many as 10 layers to create depth.”
Helen has also started experimenting with encaustic art where depth and translucency are achieved by layering hot wax and color on the canvas.
When asked how she felt about the development of art in Saudi Arabia, she replied: “There are few schools or centers for art. Art taught at school level becomes secondary to other subjects even at the primary levels. Art education is very structured and there is never any room for self-development.”
She finds that Saudi artists are talented in the use of color but lack the basics of painting and drawing. “They can produce abstract art which is visually stimulating but ask them to draw a realistic picture and they are unable to do so.”
Helen noted one region which has established a working network of artists. “An area which is presently producing artists of substance is Qatif in the Eastern Province. I am so impressed with the artists there. They are supporting and educating each other, participating as groups in art activities, experimenting with different techniques and sharing ideas. I have not found similar groups elsewhere other than, perhaps on a lower level, in Jeddah.”
What does the Society for the Promotion of Art do to encourage artists? Helen says, “They seem to support a few selected artists only, but not everyone. They visit each and every art exhibition and rather than offering suggestions or advice which would help the artists, they always raise objections to certain pictures.”
They often censor rather than endorse art. “It can be very frustrating; our Saudi artists know what they can or cannot depict and work well within the limits of these constraints.”
Helen’s desire for excellence in her own work and in the works of artists she showcases in her gallery is imbued in her consciousness. She serves as an inspiration to the artists and a mentor to those who seek advice. Arabian Collections Gallery is now at the forefront of artistic entrepreneurship going beyond the initial expectations of the public in general and the artists in particular.
