The Empty Quarter Gallery makes a splash in Jeddah

The Empty Quarter Gallery, the newest art and photography gallery in Jeddah as well as one of the largest art spaces in the Kingdom has finally opened its doors. The gallery was founded by Princess Reem Al-Faisal and is a project that is close to her professionally. Her royal highness’ career as a photographer spans around 25 years now and she has had her work exhibited in many countries around the world, she’s also considered to be one of the first Saudi photographers to ever appear in the photography scene. Not only is Princess Reem a photographer, she is also an educator when it comes to photography, she participated in numerous workshops helping photography enthusiasts pave their way in the beautiful field. Jeddah’s Empty Quarter’s sister project holding the same name located in Dubai was founded by Princess Reem eight years ago, a gallery solely for exhibiting photographs.
The vision for Jeddah’s Empty Quarter is quite similar but with the addition of fine art. In continuation to Dubai’s Empty Quarter’s unprecedented success, The Empty Quarter Gallery opened in Jeddah on Nov. 15 under the patronage of Governor of Makkah Prince Khalid Al-Faisal. Invited guests included Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal, Sultan bin Salman, the Consul General of France, the Consul General of Lebanon and many more prominent personalities as well as guests from Jeddah and abroad.
The Empty Quarter Gallery is showcasing numerous artworks by locals as well as internationally known artists. The gallery includes a concoction of the most prestigious contemporary and vintage artwork in the world to appeal to every artistic taste. The many art show casings display an array of genres such as sculpting, photography, illustration and calligraphy, creating a platform for the different tastes and an enlightening experience for those looking for inspiration, beauty, educational means or simply to appeal to the interested wanderers.
The current exhibit on display is the highly anticipated NASS series by founder Princess Reem, well known for her black and white portraits but for the first time, the artist included color photographs. NASS is a project dear to Princess Reem, all photographs on display are a collection of her work of the many faces of Saudi Arabia, the people that make up the country, different aspects of life, and a view of the many faces of the Kingdom’s people. She collaborated with Iraqi artist Mohammed Al-Shammari, well known for his arabesque and ancient Islamic art concepts. NASS is an experimentation in ancient Islamic art integrated into the photographs using art and printing techniques to stimulate the alchemy process of transformation to silver and gold, an ancient process known as the golden mean. To achieve this, the artist used liquid organic colors, silver and gold to express the metaphors for spiritual entities, spiritual states of the human being during the process of mental development, progress and evolution. The Princess’ work is all about the divine presence of everyday life, to show the simplicity and humanity of life.
The upcoming exhibit set to open on Jan. 17 and continuing until Feb.17, features the Tunisian calligrapher and light artist Karim Jabbari’s latest “I am word”. Karim Jabbari is one of the world’s most respected light calligraphy artists and the creator of the biggest street art festival in his native Tunisia, the “Streets Urban Festival”. Inspired by old Arabic scriptures, Karim developed his own abstract typography using different shapes, colors and patterns. Many of his compositions feature classic Kufi and Maghrebi calligraphy, going back to his North African roots. The artist will have a live show on Jan. 17 and 19, showcasing his art on two platforms, paper and light calligraphy at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel, and will continue at the Gallery until Feb. 17.
Jeddah’s The Empty Quarter Gallery took a year in the making and as Princess Reem mentioned in a previous interview with Arab News, this project is a gateway for the general public to come and enjoy the works of local and international talents in the different genres it’s offering. She also mentioned that photography enthusiasts will be welcome to display their work in the proper fashion as another project is in the works. The Concept Store & Printing Center is a space designated for printing, framing and helping photographers display their work in the proper manner. The Empty Quarter Gallery is not simply a gallery, it can be interpreted as an educational walkthrough, a field not yet fully understood by many Saudis, but surely a beautiful experience.
The Gallery is located in Tahlia Street at the Ewan Center and is open daily to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except on Fridays. The Concept Store & Printing Center is located in Al-Balad, on the 25th floor of the Queens Building. For more information on The Empty Quarter Gallery, please visit their website www.theemptyquarterjeddah.com
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