Startup of the Week: Adding colors to the Saudi cultural landscape

• The artists would always tell me that they preferred to see the colors themselves

JEDDAH: Color Theory is an arts and crafts supply shop based in Riyadh. The term color theory is defined as a practical guide to color mixing and the visual effects of specific color combinations.
It offers a wide variety of acrylic and oil-based paints, brushes, colored pencils, oil pastels and spray paints, as well as all the necessary tools required for any given art project.
The owner of Color Theory, Ahmed Mohammed Al-Sunaidi, began to build his own business when he found that artists in Saudi Arabia needed a local art supply shop with the latest and most innovative art and design supplies.
“I began my career as an employee in the private sector. I had no prior experience in art. However, after working for a long while in an industry that was completely different from the field of art, I had a simple desire to leave my work in the private sector and start my own business,” he said.
There are always risks attached to any entrepreneurial venture, but Al-Sunaidi was confident in the art scene that was growing within Saudi Arabia.
“My circumstances gave me the opportunity to quit my job, and during my year of unemployment, I started visiting art galleries around the Kingdom. I would ask artists from where they bought their art supplies, and why they had not purchased them online.
“The artists would always tell me that they preferred to see the colors themselves. They wanted to touch the materials and feel the paintbrushes that they would use before purchasing. So I discovered that there was a need for this type of business,” he said.
Al-Sunaidi saw a colorful future ahead for Saudi Arabia and wanted to help bring it to the masses. “I believe there was a time when Saudi Arabia was gray, and now life is gaining color. Not just because I am now living among colors but also because the people themselves are becoming more colorful. They have started seeing life from a different perspective,” he said.
Color Theory is at 2656 Ash Sheikh Abdullah Al-Anqari, Salah Ad Din, Riyadh 12434. For customer inquiries, they can be reached at [phone]. Follow them on Instagram for their latest product features and stock at www.Instagram.com/colortheoryksa