Faayea Almai brings Abha to life through his art

Artist Faayea Almai has turned the beauty of his city into works of art. Through his art, Almai wants to acquaint people with Abha and show the heritage, convictions and culture of people of the area.
His artwork has been praised by audiences at 60 exhibitions both inside and outside the Kingdom. He has won the Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Visual Art Competition twice, once in visual arts and the other in photography. While his artistry delights people in Abha, an international audience has also expressed appreciation for his work.
Almai says he would never have reached this level of achievement had it not been for his parents who supported him and nurtured his passion. “I was always lucky to have their support. They never hesitated in buying me whatever I needed. Their patience was wonderful when I painted art on the walls of our house and on my father’s papers.”
His father’s experience and interest in literature and his mother’s eye for detail helped shape his talent.
Almai recalls when he first appreciated the importance of art. “I had taken part in my first exhibition and my painting was the only one bought.” He explained that the price paid for his work encouraged him to do better work and produce more serious works.
Support also came from school and university where Almai was often asked to draw students and teachers.
He remembers how his black pencils were always in his pockets as he ventured into experimenting with new paintings and colors. Sketches, portraits and drawings covered the pages of his notebooks.
On the official level, Almai says he enjoyed the support of many leaders including “the intellectual pioneer Prince Khaled Al-Faisal whose words always gave me new and wider horizons.”
Almai believes that there are many things that makes his art special. “Simplicity is the key,” he says. “I strive for credibility and simplicity and closeness to the environment as I want to reach all segments of society through my art,” he told Arab News.
“I am in love with details, shapes, elements and colors and I draw whatever I see in front of me,” he said.
The most important tools for Almai are thoughts, emotions and imagination and then comes the experience of combining those and turning a blank canvas into art. “The most important part is the process when the artist translates the visions into reality through the shapes and spaces and colors addressing the audience,” he explained, pointing out that art is a principal tool of communication that reaches the hearts and minds of people from different cultures and nationalities. “Hence it is crucial for the artist to be aware of his message and the discussions it will trigger, particularly when it comes to the best representations of our religion.”
Almai says that he and many artists from Asir, both male and female, are receiving wide recognition and are helping art in the Kingdom. He highlighted the role of female visual artists who were able to establish their presence locally. “I hope that these artists will receive international recognition,” he said.
Where many Saudi artists are gaining fame, Almai says that Saudi art is in a state of qualitative development in which it is getting closer to that in other Arab countries. He believes, however, that much can still be done in the field of art criticism. “This field is still far from where we want it to be and we are in need of better critics that will bring our art to a higher stage,” he added.