US holds ‘Telepathy’ to showcase cultural ties with Saudi Arabia

A MESSAGE IN PAINTING: US Ambassador Joseph Westphal and his wife Linda with an artist at the event in Riyadh.

RIYADH: Quincy House, the official residence of the US envoy in the Diplomatic Quarters here, organized “Telepathy,” its fifth art exhibition to explore the fine arts created by the shared experiences of Saudi and American artists with the ability to build bridges for people from the two countries and help promote cultural ties.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, US Ambassador Joseph Westphal appreciated the artists for bringing the Kingdom and the US even closer through the art expo organized by the US Embassy in cooperation with Naila Art Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in Riyadh that aims to highlight emerging and established local and international artists.
“For me, as a diplomat, it is more fulfilling to bring the people of the two countries together, and this art gallery well served the purpose,” he said.
Westphal credited his wife, Linda, and Naifa Al-Fayez of the Naila Art Gallery for putting their efforts together to make the event a success.
He also praised Saudi artists, saying their works are too good and give visitors a hard time in differentiating between the works of Saudi and American artists.
The envoy stressed the need for more people-to-people contact to further enhance cultural ties.
Commenting on the name of the event, Al-Fayez said “Telepathy” suggests the transmission of information without any physical interaction.
“In this event, the idea of telepathy serves as a metaphor that is seen celebrating the ability of art to build bridges between people.”
She said the show presents selected pieces from Saud and American artists, and highlights the similarities found in their work, demonstrating the unique capacity of art to live beyond stereotypes.
The ambassador’s wife said, “Sometimes, you feel a spark of inspiration that comes from the simplest of things; you feel this spark in a personal way and believe that the feeling represents a unique connection to the experience.
Then you share the spark of inspiration with people and that shared experience connects the two of you in a way you thought not possible. Those unexpected moments represent the origin of creativity to an artist.”
The ceremony was attended by diplomats and their families, besides Saudis and embassy staffs.